The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the original
by DarkestLinkEAI
Summary: In the land of Hyrule there is a boy named Link. He meets the Princess Zelda and both soon find they must save the land from an evil demon, Malludus. Pretty accurate although some minor things are added. Contains LinkxZelda
1. Link

Hey guys, it's been awhile huh? Well I'm not 100% sure how this is going to work. I have the ideas down on paper, but I don't know what it's going to look like when I'm done. The length of this for example isn't something I'm going to tamper with much, so this could end up longer or shorter than my last fanfiction. I'm also going to use some more 2nd person when telling the story so I don't sound so unprofessional with the Authors Notes all the time.

EDIT: I cleaned up the story so it will have less errors and look nicer.

This is a story of a noble kingdom of Hyrule. A land with a great and interesting history. A land of demons, spirits, knights, swords, monarchs…and magic. This land was not in the medieval ages, for their most common use of travel for the last one hundred years has been train. That is because this kingdom is not a part of our world at all. Our world knows no magic unless you believe your God (if any) is magic. This land is in a world of its own. Since the land is magic it runs on a slightly different logic than ours, and some inventions here don't exist in that land, such as guns. However even if you were to bring a gun to Hyrule, it wouldn't have much more effect than a regular bow and arrow because of the difference in their world's logic. Some of the inventions themselves worked differently too. For example their train does not run on oil or coal, it runs on the magical energy coming from the train tracks themselves. These tracks are known as Spirit Tracks. The Spirit Tracks run all over the land of Hyrule. One could go from one side to the opposite in ten minutes. This kingdom is by no means small, though. In fact it is the largest known kingdom in their world, the world itself is just smaller. It was founded by the great Pirate Queen Tetra when her kingdom drowned at the bottom of the sea. If you wish to know of this older Hyrule or how it drowned look for other great legends, they do exist. Tetra was also known as Zelda by a few. It is a traditional name for the royal family's princess that was kept alive in her kingdom for centuries but for unknown reasons her mother named her Tetra. Tetra brought back the tradition with her daughter, Zelda, and her granddaughter, Zelda II. Tetra herself, however, refused to be called Zelda. But enough preamble let us get on with the story…The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_This is a tale from long ago. It's the tale of the first settlers of this land. In the beginning, the people followed the spirits of good, and all was peaceful. But that era of peace soon came to an end. The evil Demon King rose to power, destroying everything in his path. The spirits of good had no choice but to face him in battle. The war that ensued seemed to last an eternity, and much blood was shed. Finally, the spirits subdued the Demon King, though they could not destroy him. Their powers were greatly depleted. With their remaining power, they buried the Demon King's spirit in the ground. They built shackles to imprison him, and a tower that acted as a lock. These shackles cover the land to this day. With their power drained, the spirits of good returned to the heavens. Suddenly bereft of both demons and spirits, this land was entrusted to us._

"Ho ho ho…" Niko chuckled merrily finishing his story with the last piece of artwork. Niko was an old bucktooth man with white hair and was going bald. He had a kind face and was wearing a red and white striped shirt with green pants and a belt with a skull. He was also holding a cane. While he was old, he tended to act a bit immature for his age. It was rumored that he was once a part of Tetra's pirate crew. "Well? Do I know how to tell a story or what?" Niko asked his roommate, Link. "I call it 'Spirits and Demons…at War!' I only do show this once a year, you know! It's a blasted masterpiece! A…a…a blasterpiece!" Niko looked over a Link and his face was full of dismay. Niko sighed "What's this? You fell asleep during my magnum opus?" in front of Niko lay a fourteen year old boy with long, wavy, fluffy, blond hair and dark blue eyes and bushy eyebrows. He was wearing brown boots, and a black and gray train engineer uniform. He also wore a red hat that looked too small for him; it had a dove on it. Here the symbol of a train engineer is a dove. His name was Link. Link was a kind boy, but he was poor mannered and tactless sometimes. The reason he didn't find Niko's story as interesting as you might have is because he heard it so many times before. He was an orphan was raised by Niko and his mentor, Alfonzo.

Link continued snoring gently until the sound of Niko's voice woke him up. Link gave a yawn and stretched; he then sat up and faced Niko. "I can't believe this! You know, Link… a lot of people would love to be in your position. As my roommate, you get to see my work for free!" Niko began pacing back and forth. Niko wasn't Link's grandpa or relative so he couldn't really punish Link, and he didn't really want to. But he found his lack of interest for anything really discouraging and he cared for Link. "Plus I'm not getting any younger here." Niko added "This story might be the only thing that proves I existed. Can't you pay attention for one minute…and listen to an old man's final creation? Are you listening to me, Link?" Niko asked for the boy was showing signs of only being half-awake.

"Sort of…" Link said honestly.

"OK, OK, I can take a hint. Sorry for boring you." Niko said. With that there was a knock at the door and whoever knocked immediately opened without permission. "Look, here comes your mentor. Hello there, Alfonzo!" Niko greeted as Alfonzo walked in. Link gave a small gulp and turned to face Alfonzo. Alfonzo was Link's teacher and, like Niko, took care of Link. Unlike Niko, though, Alfonzo couldn't care less about punishing Link for not being a blood relative. Alfonzo was dressed in complete red, red boots, red pants, red shirt, red and gold badge, red belt, and red bandana with a dove on it. The only thing that wasn't red was his gloves which were brown. Alfonzo was very burly and had a tattoo across his chest which you could see a bit of through his turndown collar. He looked tough and he was. He was once captain of the Hyrule soldiers and a bit of a drill sergeant. He had grown up with a father who was just the same and a grandfather who was a pirate. His grandfather was second in command in Tetra's crew.

"Why are you still here, Link?" Alfonzo asked "C'mon now—wipe the sleep out of your eyes!" When Link didn't do so Alfonzo picked him up as though he were a doll and began shacking him yelling "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!" until Link was feeling dizzy and sick. "Today is a very important day, you know! It's your audience with the princess!"

"Um, right." Link said as though he knew what he was talking about. Alfonzo wasn't fooled. Alfonzo dropped Link to the floor and shook his head with disgust.

"Don't tell me you forgot! You won't amount to much if you don't pay attention." Link was still feeling sick with the shacking and was having trouble listening. Suddenly Alfonzo pressed his face close to Link's and growled "Don't you want your engineer certificate?"

"Yes…" Link said

"Well the ceremony is at the castle. Princess Zelda herself is going to do the honors!" Link nodded sadly, he hated it when Alfonzo lectured him like this. "I'm heading to the station now, so meet me there. Remember, the station is up the road. Don't get lost!" Link nodded again. "Got it? Good! Then get a move on!" Alfonzo barked heading outside and giving an audible 'hmph!' "See you later, Niko." Alfonzo added as he left. Link stared sadly at Alfonzo's retreating figure and rubbed his head when Alfonzo dropped him. Niko sighed at Link too which upset him a little more. Having Alfonzo and Niko as your caretakers wasn't good for your self esteem.

Link walked to Niko and said goodbye. Despite being angry with Link before, Niko gave him a smile and said "Today is the day you graduate from apprentice to official train engineer. It's quite an honor and you mustn't be late. Now off to the castle with you." Niko said cheerily as Link took some rupees (the currency in this country) and headed outside.

The place Link was in was called Aboda Village. It was the smallest village in the country but Link liked it for that reason. There were only three small houses, a chicken coup, and a postbox here. The village was near the beach and ocean. The only people who lived here were Link, Niko, Alfonzo and a family of four. One of these was a girl named Fado who Link spotted and decided to say goodbye to. Fado was eight years old; she had red hair down into a pony tail and pink dress and always wore a flower or two. She had an older brother who was ten. His name was Mido and he bullied Fado quite a bit. Link was nicer so she liked him more. In contrast Mido didn't like Link much at all; it was possibly because Link was bigger and older than him.

"I hear your going to be a train engineer, you're leaving today?" Fado asked

"Yep, good luck with Mido. Don't let him get you down."  
"I won't." Fado said. Link began heading to the station when Fado called

"Wait a second! There are a bunch of rocks in front of the house!" Link looked and saw that she was right. Her house door was blocked by four large boulders that Fado wouldn't be able to move. They looked to neat to have been done by nature. Link sighed, Mido clearly did this. "You have free time, Link?" Fado asked. Link sighed again, never able to resist the charm of Fado. Link grunted and then lifted up one of the heavy boulders and threw it several feet away. He did the same with the other three. "Thank you, Tee hee, your so nice, Link. Here this is for you." Fado said giving Link a red rupee which was worth twenty. "If you see my big brother, get him good for me, OK?" Fado said. Link smiled and set off for the station again. Link stopped when he heard

"Hey, Link!" it was Mido. Link decided to go over and see what Mido wanted. Mido was a short red headed boy with overalls and an overlarge blue cap on.

"Today's your graduation ceremony, right?"

"Yeah…" Link said slowly. He was wondering if Mido was going to compliment Link for being so young and to have a good job like engineer for his age or if he was going to try and ruin Link's day. It turned out to be the latter.

"How can someone who can't even do a somersault be a train engineer? If you can be an engineer, I bet anyone can do it. If you want to prove me wrong, do one right now." Link sighed, Mido was always making fun of the fact that he was better at these types of things than Link. He used to do it with snapping too, when Link couldn't understand how to snap. Now it was somersaults, Link couldn't do this because he wasn't very flexible. But Link wasn't the person to back down from a challenge. Link walked back a bit and took a running start and attempted to roll. Unfortunately he didn't do it right, and he landed into a tree. But the worst part was that he knocked down a bee's hive. Link body stiffened at the sight of bees.

"Bwahaha! You're such a klutz, Link! Why are you just standing there? Everyone knows that getting stung by bees hurts! When you seem them buzzing, start running or throw yourself in water STAT!" Mido's insult brought Link back to his senses and he ran full speed away. The bees were fast though and Link soon threw himself off the short cliff into the ocean to escape. When he got out his engineers clothes were drenched in water and Link's temper was running high. Link was usually very calm and controlled but when he lost his temper he was terrifying. He had inherited this from Alfonzo just like Alfonzo inherited from his father and grandfather. Link saw Mido who was laughing like crazy as though he were incredibly smart. Although, he didn't look all that smart with several teeth missing. He stopped laughing when he saw Link's expression, he had only made Link lose his temper twice and he didn't want to make that mistake again. He teased Link quite a bit but this was the line, because after all, Link was bigger than he was, and his parents never blamed Link if he did anything to Mido. Mido gulped and was about to apologize when Link began shouting.  
"YOU KNOW I'M ALLERGIC TO BEES!"

"Listen, Link—"

"THOSE THINGS COULD HAVE KILLED ME, YOU IDIOT!"

"You made it in the water—"

"NOW I'M ALL WET FOR MY GRADUATION, YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT ALFONZOS GOING TO DO TO ME!"

"It can't be that ba—"

"EVERYTHING ALFONZO DOES TO ME, I'M GOING TO DO YOU TO TEN-FOLD!" Link roared. Mido gulped

"Link, don't get so bent out of shape, it was a joke! Here take this!" Mido handed Link a heart shaped nut. It was known as a Wood Heart. Link's face turned less red and he calmed down a bit. This Wood Heart looked like a chestnut but there was something special about it that made it sell for fifty rupees in some places. They were pretty rare. Link was still breathing heavily but he said

"Ok…you're forgiven…don't do it again." Link headed off to the train station, not wanting to have any more drama before he was at the castle. When Link arrived he heard the voice of Alfonzo tell him

"You're late!" Link looked at the source of the noise and saw Alfonzo riding a wooden train out of his garage on to the tracks. It didn't look like the trains you see today. It looked a bit more like a cross between a car and a train. There were two types of trains; there was the kind Link drove which was also a bit like a convertible car. In this you can openly see the tracks as you drive and there was another kind that resembles the buses of this world. In these you were inside the train looking out through a window. Both Link and Alfonzo preferred the former as they thought it was a bit more fun to ride with the wind blowing in your face and to see outside with no windows. It wasn't gold or steel like the royal trains, as neither Link nor Alfonzo were royalty. It was made of wood because Alfonzo had made it himself. On the back was a passenger car, unlike the train itself, the car was not open. This was because there were some hazards on the tracks such as monsters and it would be dangerous for passengers. There was a window though, for the passengers to look outside, and there were curtains and comfortable benches inside.

"Do you understand the significance of today?" Alfonzo asked "In order to become a train engineer in this kingdom, you must have an audience with the princess. If she grants you her permission, you can finally operate a train by yourself. Now hope aboard! We're going to the castle!"  
"Yeah!" Link said.

"Good then lets get going…oh but one last thing, your driving us to the castle. Call it your final exam!" Alfonzo said "Don't look so worried—it will be a piece of cake." Alfonzo added catching sight of Link's nervous face. You need to get us to the castle in five minutes. I put lines through all the tracks you can use to get us there." Alfonzo pointed to a map of Hyrule and the tracks he traced. There are other trains on the tracks, so be careful not to hit them…think you can do it?" Alfonzo asked. Link was nervous; he had never actually driven with other trains before. But he didn't want to say he was scared, not now when he was supposed to graduate to engineer. So instead Link gave out a confident "Yes!" and Alfonzo smiled

"I like your confidence! I will remind you how to operate a train on our way there. So hop aboard." Link nodded and climbed into the train. Alfonzo stood next to him, normally this was illegal but as Link was an apprentice, it was mandatory. Link started up the train and instinctively set it on fast. "You've probably got this all down, but humor me while I tell you again." Alfonzo said. Link knew that Alfonzo was guessing that Link had forgotten in the long time since he had driven a train, or that he was just as nervous as Link. But at least now Alfonzo was trying to make it sound like he believed in Link. "Alright this is a gearbox." Alfonzo said pointing at the lever "You can make yourself go faster or slower with it. You can also stop or reverse. The revere can also be an emergency break. Make sure you look around a lot, an engineer needs to be aware of his surroundings." Link nodded and began looking around. "Now set the gearbox on fast to ratchet up the speed."  
"I did." Link pointed out

"Oh you did? Good job, Link." They continued riding, and Link was beginning to notice a lot of moinks around. For the record a moink is a cow-pig hybrid. Alfonzo soon shouted "Animal on the tracks! Sound the whistle to scare it off!" and Link nodded and pulled the whistle. The moink quickly ran off. Alfonzo gave Link a pat on the back for this. They soon were coming close to a fork on the road and Alfonzo spoke once more "See how there's a fork in the road up ahead? We need to use to rail switch to decide which way we want to go." Alfonzo pointed to the level at Link's feet. For here they could change the direction they went on the rails on whim. "Got it?" Alfonzo asked. Link nodded. "From here on, we'll be sharing tracks with other trains." Link gulped "Make sure you choose the correct tracks…and don't be so worried, if we meet some we won't crash as long as you don't lose your head. It will just an inconvenience to move out of the way." Link nodded and pulled the whistle three times. A train answered this by blowing its train whistle three times as well. Link listened; the train was coming from his left. Link turned the lever to the right and Alfonzo clapped him on the back. "Good job, didn't even need to remind you of train signals." Train signals were a way for people to know where other trains were so they wouldn't crash. A train engineer was supposed to blow his whistle three times and listen to see if there were other trains who would blow there whistle three times. They blew it three times so they could tell what way the train was going. Link passed the Whittleton Village train station as he went, occasionally blowing the whistle again and getting responses from other trains. Link knew he was close to one on the coming fork. If the train engineer knew what they were doing, based off of Link's signals they would either wait for him to pass before going on his set of tracks or go in a different direction. As it was the train wasn't going that fast and Link managed to get ahead of the other train. Link took a right, and then took a left. He was getting close to the castle now. Link passed a lake; he knew he was close now. And sure enough he could see the castle station. The train station was basically two sets of loops, these were so the train wasn't in the way of those who passed the station, and so there was plenty of room for all who parked here. There were two sets instead of one so the trains could turn around if they wanted to head back the way they came. "We've got a clear view of the Tower of Spirits today!" Alfonzo pointed out, looking at the tower. Link saw it too. The tower was in the very center of their country and one could see it anywhere. It looked much more impressive up close though. "All right, we're almost at the castle!" Alfonzo pointed out.

"I know." Link said nodding.

"Just use the lever on the gearbox to stop at the station, remember not to use the emergency break when passengers…or teachers are on here." Alfonzo said

"Don't worry, Alfonzo." Link said. One thing that was bothering Link was the other train headed in the opposite direction of them. The engineer pulled his whistle twice. This was an engineer's way of asking another to either stop at a station or go to the station for other train to pass. The other engineer slowed down so Link had plenty of time to do so. Link brought the gearbox to stop, not letting it go to reverse and eased the train slowly into the station. The train was slowly losing speed until it gently stopped. "Good job! You passed the exam with flying colors!" Alfonzo complimented. They were at the castle.


	2. Princess Zelda

Ok chapter two. Please review

Hyrule Castle Town really was a splendid place. It was made of stone and marble and was very clean. There were statues of lions near the front gate, everything seemed so elegant and everyone looked happy. It didn't seem too busy either, like you would expect of such a high standard place, though it was much busier than Aboda Village

"You got us to Castle Town! And you know what else? You look good handling a train! That's the surest sign you're going to make a great engineer." Alfonzo said. Link smiled, it was rare he ever got compliments from his teacher. "Now just head to the castle for your graduation ceremony." Alfonzo continued "It's up north, you can't miss it. Good luck now! Meet me back here when you're done, I will buy you something good to eat and we can head back to Aboda." Link nodded and headed off, he was a little nervous about going to the castle by himself. But he wasn't going to tell Alfonzo that when he was in such a good mood with him. Alfonzo would just call him spineless if he asked for him to come. As Link passed the mail box he heard a noise. It sounded like someone imitating a train…it WAS someone imitating a train. It was a buck toothed young man dressed in red with a large nose and green hair.

"Hey, hey, howdy mister." The train-man said.

"Err…who are you?" Link asked

"Me? Oh I'm no good at long-winded introductions. I'm just an average guy who works the postman gig to get by. You can call me the Postman. All my friends do. Now that you know my name, next time I see you, don't be shy! Say hello!" The Postman said. Link realized that this guy was the exact opposite of him. He seemed really social and eager about work. Link was a little antisocial, partly because he rarely spoke, and partly because he didn't know anyone his age, but it was mostly because he was shy. He was also pretty lazy. If it hadn't been for Alfozno there's no way Link would have tried to be a train engineer. "Speaking of names, you're Link, right?" The Postman asked. Link nodded. "I've got a letter for you, so I will jump right in and read it aloud. Oh wait—that's the way we USED to do things." The Postman caught himself "But no more! Apparently, some folks thought our reading their letters out loud was rude. So now our policy is to just hand-deliver the mail unopened. Here you go." The postman said handing Link his letter. "Ok, I've delivered your mail safely to you. Well, my work seems to be done here, so I'll be off. See you around!" The Postman said going back to walking and making train noises.

Link took his letter and opened it, it read as follows

_Dear Link,_

_Our new postal system has started running today. If you're reading this letter, it means our new postman is doing his job right. He's as hard-working and efficient as they come! So be nice to him, won't you? We'll be in touch again if anything new comes up._

_ -The Postmaster._

Link closed the letter and stuffed it into his bag. He headed through the archway to the castle. The castle was very big and very green. The castle itself was not green, it was gray, but it had a lot of grass, hedges, and plants around it. The guards were also dressed in green tunics. Two of them were guarding the door. Link approached them.  
"What is it, kid?" the one of the left asked. "We're kind of busy protecting Hyrule Castle right now. If you've got no business here, I suggest you scram!"

"I'm an engineer here for my ceremony." Link explained.

"What's that? You're here for the engineer graduation ceremony?"

"Yes sir."

"Ah, I had completely forgotten that today was the graduation ceremony. Huh, I didn't know they gave engineer certificates to little kids like you…" Link felt his temper rise a bit. The guard was hardly taller than he was and he called Link a little kid? "I guess times are a-changing. Well, go on in." the two guards moved to the side so Link could enter. Link walked in and muttered "thanks" as he passed the guards. The inside of the castle was also very splendid but Link didn't pay any attention. He just followed the red rug to a staircase and politely asked the guard standing in front of it

"Where does this lead? I need to see the Princess Zelda."

"The princess' throne room is up these stairs." The guard responded. "Only invited guests are allowed in." the guard continued "So what that means for you is…GET LOST!" suddenly a high pitched irritable voice rang through the room.

"What's all the commotion here?" Link stared at the person who was speaking. He was a short red-headed man. He seemed to be middle aged. He was wearing red pants and a white shirt with a green tail coat. He had merry eyes and a smile. What made him look so extraordinary was the fact that he was wearing two green top hats on either side of his head. Link wondered how they stayed there.

"Oh, good day, Chancellor Cole! Sorry for the disturbance. This boy says he's here to see the princess!"  
"Is that so? You're here for the graduation ceremony?"

"Yes!" Link said grateful that finally someone didn't need to be told who he was and why he was here.

"But you're so young….What a waste of resources. The Spirit Tracks are vanishing, yet the princess insists on doing these ridiculous ceremonies." Link frowned; he was suddenly finding he didn't like the chancellor at all. "Well, come along, boy. We must get you to your ceremony! Follow me! Don't just stand there drooling, Private! Move aside!" Chancellor Cole added to the guard.

"Yes, sir!" The guard said respectfully as he moved over. Cole headed up the stairs; as soon as he was out of earshot the guard gave a sigh of frustration

"I'm sick of him! Princess Zelda is so nice; she lets the chancellor get away with

anything. Now he struts around as if he were king!" Link stared at him for a moment then the guard added in a whisper "Don't repeat that, ok?" Link nodded and headed up the stairs. He wasn't looking forward to the ceremony; so far the welcoming was far from inviting.

The throne room was covered in red; there were two doors at side near the end. One of which likely lead to the princess' room. There were two guards, one near each door. Standing next to one was a nicely dressed old man with glasses. Above the throne there was a glass pane of Tetra the Pirate Queen. Cole pointed next to the throne which was twenty feet high, indicating Link to kneel there for the princess, who was absent. When Link did this Cole walked over and stood next to the other guard.

Alfonzo and Link had rehearsed this. Link was to kneel respectfully to the princess and wait for her to enter the room. Once she did, she would say a few things and give him his engineer's certificate. At this point he was supposed to shake hands with her politely and be on his way. It was pretty short. The old man Link had seen earlier answered Link's unasked question

"The princess will be here momentarily, she is just finishing getting ready." Link looked over at him and nodded before bowing his head down again and closing his eyes. Link soon heard the soft footsteps of high heeled shoes on carpet. Zelda must have arrived. When they stopped right in front of him, Link opened his eyes and looked up. Link gasped and his cheeks turned pink. Zelda's appearance shocked Link. She was much younger than he had expected, in fact she was the exact same age as he was, and in Link's opinion she was _beautiful._ Zelda had very fair skin, and blonde hair, a lighter blonde than Link's. It went down to her waist. She had the most beautiful eyes Link had ever seen, they were light blue. She was wearing a nice looking royal dress. It was pink; the bottom of it had a strange blue design that remind Link of ocean waves. The front of it had a strip of blue which a strange design featuring three yellow triangles. The middle of it was gold, and the top was purple. She wore white gloves that went to her arms and wore a pink pearl necklace. On her head she wore something that could have been a crown; it was gold with a ruby in the middle. What Link liked most though was that when she saw him she gave him a smile; she was the only person here that actually seemed happy to see him. There was silence for a few moments as Link and Zelda stared at each other. This was broken when Cole yelled out

"Raising your head without permission? You ill-mannered urchin!" Link gasped and turned to Cole, his fantasy world gone. Zelda too turned to Cole and raised her hand, signaling him to stop, she was glaring at him as well. It was comforting for Link to know that the princess wouldn't let Cole bully him.

"Don't pay any attention to Chancellor Cole." Zelda told him gently, she had a soft sweet voice. "You must be the new engineer. What's your name?" Zelda asked.

"Link…" Link muttered shyly. He was a little worried that Zelda didn't hear him.

"Oh, Link is a wonderful name!" Zelda said kindly. Link felt that he liked her; he felt they could be the best of friends if they wanted, he felt like it had all be worth coming here just to see her. And somehow he felt sure that the princess felt the same way. "Well, Link, by the power vested in me, I hereby proclaim you—"

"We're wasting time here, Your Highness! Please, just hurry up and finish this foolish ceremony." Cole interrupted. Zelda shot him a look of disgust and sighed

"…Very well, Chancellor." The old man whom Link spoke to before came before Zelda with a red velvet cushion, on this rested a paper, already signed with Zelda's signature. It was the engineer certificate. "Thank you, Teacher." Zelda said taking the paper. Zelda began saying the lines she rehearsed for this and Teacher went back to where he once stood "I hereby recognize our newest royal engineer…Link! Work hard, for we all rely on you, Link. She then motioned Link to stand up and gave him the certificate. Link gave her a smile as he took it. Zelda then walked up to shake his hand, Link suddenly noticed that she took out a piece of paper, and she stuffed it in his hand slyly as they shook hands. Link gave her a confused face. "Shh—take this."  
"Princess, wha—" Link started but Zelda shook her head with a worried glance at Cole.

"No! Don't say a word right now." Zelda whispered urgently. Link nodded and slyly pocketed the note. "Read this later…and beware of the chancellor!" Zelda then turned and headed back to her room as if nothing happened. Link was too surprised to move. What had that been about? Cole was the last to leave, and before he left, he turned and faced Link.

"The ceremony's over now, so I suggest you move along. Why don't you go…polish your train or something. Not that it matters much…the thing will be useless before long…" Cole gave Link a wide smile and chuckled. Link nearly gasped, he had not seen how sharp Cole's teeth were. They looked like a sharks. Cole turned and left, leaving Link alone in the throne room.

When Link saw he was alone, he took out the note Zelda had given him. It began without preamble:  
_I have a great favor that I must ask of you in person. Follow this secret path at the top of the castle. Please come to my quarters as soon as you can, and don't let anyone see you._

_ Zelda_

On the back was a drawing the castle and the secret way to Zelda's headquarters, it seemed simple enough. Link thought of Alfonzo who was waiting patiently for him and considered going to him first, but decided he would probably not let Link see Zelda, so Link decided to see Zelda and ask what her favor was. Link headed back down the stairs out of the throne room.

"Oh, so the ceremony's over already? How did it go?" the guard from earlier asked.

"It was fine, thanks for asking." Link responded

"Isn't the princess pretty? I wish she'd look at me just once!" Link raised an eyebrow at this. The guard must have been in his twenties at least. "Um… Anyway…Since today is a special day, you're free to wander around the castle. Just stay away from places you don't belong." Link nodded, feeling a little guilty about what he was going to do. Link headed down and to the right through a corridor, passing a recruit as he went. Link soon saw some stairs and headed up these and nearly gasped. A guard was just turning that way to face him. Link quickly and quietly ran to the right of the stair case and and hid behind a wall. Link saw what looked like might be the secret path. It had some broken stone which had been meant to keep people from climbing it. Link walked along this and took out Zelda's note again. It looked like he had gotten the short cut right. Link continued on the thin stone path until he saw a balcony, Link jumped onto it and headed through the door. Link looked around and saw the door that Zelda passed through during the ceremony; he looked around and saw a staircase. Hoping it lead to Zelda, Link climbed it. At the top was a door. Link opened it slowly, in case he was wrong about the location he was in and could quickly escape. Link heard some beautiful music as he opened the door; it seemed he came to the right place. He saw Zelda with her back turned playing a pan-flute. Link didn't speak and decided to wait for her to finish, she played well. Her headquarters looked like a combination of someone's room and office. There was couch with red velvet cushions and a doll on it. The carpets on the floor were also red. There was a bed and a desk. There was also a table with tea cups and a tea pot and there were two windows. Link took a seat on Zelda's couch and continued listening. When Zelda finished she turned around and faced Link who gave her a round of applause. Zelda giggled a bit and spoke

"I'm so glad you made it, Link! Did any of the guards see you on the way here?" Zelda asked

"Nope" Link responded, even though he couldn't be sure.

"Really? That's great! Listen, you're the only one who can help me." Zelda set down her flute and walked over to Link "I have a favor to ask of you, Link. As you know, the Tower of Spirits has protected our kingdom for ages. The tower connects all the Spirit Tracks that crisscross the land. However, for some reason, they seem to be vanishing from everywhere. Something must have happened at the tower to cause all of this. I must go there to investigate. I've heard tales of a sage who guards our land and lives in the tower. Perhaps she might be able to shed some light on what's happening."

"I see…not to be rude, but why not just go there?" Link asked

"Chancellor Cole forbids me from leaving the castle due to 'safety concerns'" Zelda said rolling her eyes. "I think he just doesn't want me going to the tower though. But why? It's clear he's hiding something….I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen! That's why I must absolutely get to the tower. What do you think? Will you take me on your train?" Link was getting nervous, he couldn't say no to the princess, and he didn't want to either.

"Before I agree to this I would like to know…why don't you just ignore the chancellor and go? I mean you're the princess, right? Just tell the guards to let you out and go to the tower." Link asked.

"Yes, I realize I'm asking a lot of you…But the castle guards are under the chancellor's control. Whether I order or plead they won't listen to me. You're the only person I can trust…please Link." Zelda turned her big blue eyes to Link and sighed, defeated.

"Of course, I will help you, princess."

"Thank you so much, Link. And call me Zelda, OK?"

"Ok…Zelda. You're welcome." Link said, feeling it was worth sneaking Zelda out and getting arrested just to see her smiling face.

"All right, please put this on right away. It's a recruit uniform." Zelda said handing Link a uniform. It was green like the others but the hat was pointed and didn't sit up straight like theirs. It was also smaller. "The guards are starting their patrols, so getting past them won't be easy. But if you wear this, they'll think you're one of them. Please get changed so we can go." Link turned very red at this, and Zelda didn't seem to understand why. Link didn't want to ask the princess to look away, it would sound like he was accusing her or something. Link slowly took off his hat, arms trembling he began to lift his shirt up. Just when he was exposing his belly button, Zelda gasped and realized why Link was being so nervous. "Oh I-I'm sorry! I'll look the other way. But please hurry!"  
"Thank you." Link said gratefully as she turned around. It was still awkward changing when Zelda was only a few feet away from him and could very easily be peeking. Luckily for Link he didn't have to strip completely naked, only to his underwear. Link was just slipping the tunic over him when Zelda asked

"Done?"  
"No!" this caused Zelda to giggle a bit. "Ok…now I'm done." Zelda turned around. The uniform was ridiculous in her opinion and it was a little baggy on Link.

"Looks…good enough, I suppose. Now let's go before the guards find us!"

"Find us? You mean they come up here to check on you?" Link asked. Zelda sighed

"Yes they do…it's really annoying and an invasion of my privacy." Zelda said.

"Sorry to hear that." Link said kindly.

"Well, let's get going." Zelda said heading towards the door, Link nodded and followed suite.


	3. Chancellor Cole

Alright last opening chapter. Hope you like it so far, please review.

Link and Zelda snuck down and peeked around a corner, sure enough there was a guard patrolling there. Link gulped and Zelda said

"These guards are pretty serious, so just pretend to be a new recruit. That way if they see you, they'll just think your one of them. But if they see me, I'm sure they'll make a big fuss and won't let me out. So please help me get past the guards without them seeing me, OK? I know you're going to do a great job! Let's get moving!" Link nodded and they began walked again when Link gasped and pulled Zelda back. "What is it?" Zelda asked

"I just realized…some of the guards in this castle have seen me. They KNOW I'm a train engineer. If they recognize me…" Zelda's face turned even whiter. She hadn't thought about this.

"W-well…we're going to have to hope that doesn't happen right?" one glance at Link's nervous face told her she was wrong. She realized how much more risk Link was at than she was. He was scouting, and if they were both caught he would get the worse end of the deal. The most Zelda would get is a lecture and possibly more check-ins at her room. Link could land in Hyrule Prison. Knowing Cole, that place would be awful for him. "OK, Link if you don't want to do this, I understand." Zelda said "I know you're risking an awful lot and I don't want to see something bad happen to you."  
"No, no, I'm coming. I told you I would, and I will." Link said.

"Thank you Link…you don't know how much this means to me…just be careful, OK?" Link nodded.

"Ok, I will scout. Stay here until I come back and do everything I say alright?" Link said feeling awkward about telling Zelda she had to listen to him. Zelda nodded  
"Right. Let's do this, Link." Link walked casually around the corner and acted as though he were patrolling too. He noticed that the guards seemed to make the same patrol patterns most of the time. After a minute of watching them Link went back to Zelda.

"OK," Link whispered "I think I know when the best time to start moving is, but you need to run alright?"

"Alright," Zelda whispered back "Just let me take off my shoes, it's hard to run in these and they are noisy." Link nodded as Zelda knelt down and took off her high heels. Link took them and said

"Ok, there will be an opening soon, most likely. When I give the signal, run." Link looked at the guards and after fifteen seconds he beckoned Zelda to him, who was actually able to run pretty fast. They made it to the balcony. "Zelda kneel down!" Link hissed "You're too easy to see here!" Zelda knelt down as instructed and the two of them were looking down. "I think there's only one guard." Link said slowly. Zelda nodded in agreement.

"But that guard isn't moving, he's just standing in the same place…"

"I'll distract him; you sneak past when you think the cost is clear." Link jumped off the balcony. "Need help?" Link asked politely.

"I would appreciate it." Zelda said. Link stood still with his arms open, Zelda leapt down and Link gave a soft "Oomph!" as she landed in his arms. "You OK, Link?" Zelda asked.

"I'm fine, take your shoes back though. The guards will ask what I'm doing with them." Zelda nodded and took the high heels back. Link went over to the guard and began asking him if he could teach him the basics of combat. The guard seemed pretty flattered and when he began his explanation Zelda crept on the other side of the hedge past him. Link finished his conversation with the guard and went over to Zelda. Link gave her a wink and pointed to the next guard. Zelda understood he was going to do the same thing here. This time Link began having a conversation about the weather. Zelda crept past this guard too and hide behind another hedge. Link joined her soon and they began creeping to the next guard.

"We're almost done, Zelda." Link said.

"Wait, Link. Be careful about that guard." Zelda said pointing him out "He's very serious and I doubt small talk will distract him."

"You have any ideas?" Link asked

"No I'm sorry…" Zelda said. Link thought for moment.

"Well I have one; I just hope I don't get in trouble for it. If I do, just run and hope you escape. Find my teacher, Alfonzo near the train station and ask him to take you. Alfonzo wears—"

"I know, Alfonzo." Zelda said "He used to work here as the guard captain, his shouting used to make me laugh." Zelda said with a giggle.

"Well…funny isn't the first thing that comes to mind when he does it to me…" Link said "Anyway, wish me luck." Link crept behind the guard as Zelda peered through to bushes to see what Link would do. To her surprise, Link got a running start and tackled the guard. This brought a lot of attention, Zelda took this as her cue to escape, as she headed to the gate she could hear the conversation Link was having with the guard

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, YOU IDIOT!"

"I was training! I think I'm getting better at this." Zelda giggled as she walked past. She stood by the archway for a bit, hoping Link would come too. When Link did come Zelda gave a cheer

"We did it! We made it out of the castle! Now let's board the train and head for the Tower of Spirits!" Link nodded and together they set off to the train. "Hey, Link, what happened back there?" Zelda asked as they made their way to the station.

"Oh nothing, he clearly wasn't that mad. All he did was threaten to report me to the princess. You're probably nowhere near as mean as Cole is, right?" Link said with a smile.

"I hope not." Zelda said with a giggle. "Oh there's Alfonzo!" Zelda cried pointing Alfonzo out to Link.

"What took you so long, Link?" Alfonzo asked in an annoyed voice. Alfonzo eyed Link's new clothes "Did you keep me waiting just so you could change clothes?" Zelda approached Alfonzo and suddenly he started behaving a little differently. Oh! Hello, Your Highness! What are you doing here?"  
"Hello, Alfonzo. Have you been well? I'm sorry we haven't spoken since you left the castle guard. I must admit, I miss hearing you bellowing orders in the courtyard."  
"You're too kind to me. I'm sure hearing me yell all day was far from pleasant. But you shouldn't distract me with talk about the old days! I'll just come out and ask. What are you doing here without a proper escort? Are you responsible for this somehow, Link?" Alfonzo added growling.

"I asked for his assistance. And I hope I can count on your help too, Alfonzo. I would feel much safer with you at my side." Link couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Alfonzo right now as Zelda said this. "Please come with us to the Tower of Spirits!"

"To the Tower of Spirits? Whatever for?" Alfonzo asked.  
"We don't have time to discuss it right now! I'll tell you all about it when we're aboard."  
"But what if something happens?" Alfonzo asked.

"'If something happens' is exactly why I need you! You were once the greatest swordsmen in the whole kingdom."  
"Yes, but that was a long time ago. Now I'm just a simple train engineer, living on the countryside. I can't be more than that, but I'll come along with you if you wish."

"Thank you, Alfonzo." Zelda said gratefully.

"OK, Link, to the Tower of Spirits." Alfonzo said

"Aaaaall aboooard!" Zelda cried.

"That's my line…" Alfonzo muttered. Link and Zelda both laughed at this. Link climbed in the train and waited for Zelda and Alfonzo to climb in the passenger car. When they were secure, Link set off. Link drove towards the Tower of Spirits, listening to Zelda explaining the situation to Alfonzo. When suddenly it happened…

The tracks disappeared. Link gasped and pulled the gearbox into reverse to stop the train. The train wobbled and shook, it nearly fell over too. Link fell out of his seat, Zelda and Alfonzo climbed out from the back and examined the situation. All the Spirit Tracks were gone. They stared at the scene in shock until Alfonzo cried

"Your Highness! Look over there!" Link and Zelda turned in the direction Alfonzo was pointing at. It was the Tower of Spirits; there was a cloud over it. Lighting seemed to be coming from it but it was unlike any storm cloud they had seen before. It wasn't gray but pitch black. Some of it began swirling around the Tower of Spirits, clinging to it. Suddenly a surge of electricity went through the tower and it broke into five pieces. Only the base stayed where it was supposed to be. Zelda closed her eyes as one of the pieces fell towards her. However when she opened her eyes, she saw that the piece was flying back to where the Tower once stood. All of the pieces did this and floated where they used to be mere seconds ago. But none of them reconnected. They stayed in place, bits of a floating tower, occasionally spinning and rotating. Link gave a nervous glance at Zelda who said the thing they were all wondering

"What happened to the Tower of Spirits?" suddenly there was another noise coming from their left they all turned and looked at the source. Billowing dark clouds came there way and were forming a giant shape. It was a monstrous train. The best way to describe would be saying that it looked like our trains today. Except there were some big differences. For one, our trains don't have ghastly smoke coming from them. For another this train was ten times bigger than ours. But lastly and what they noticed most, was that it had a terrible steel face with the lights as its eyes. Its body was a bunch of giant cogs and it was floating, coming closer to the ground. It was headed straight for Link and Zelda. Link instinctively grabbed Zelda and pushed her down along side him. The train just barely missed their heads and took off. Link and Zelda stared open mouthed at it for awhile until a voice brought them back to their senses

"Out for a leisurely stroll, Your Highness? Tsk tsk tsk! You know that's not allowed!"

"Allowed by who?" Zelda asked "You, Chancellor Cole?" Cole smiled and chuckled a bit, and then suddenly with a burst of smoke he changed. His eyes no longer looked full of merriness, but full of death. He was no longer smiling; an incredibly angry look came on his face. But most noticeably of all, where his hats had been, there were now two large horns. The right horn was twice as big as the left.

"Who else? Who do you think is really in charge?" Cole yelled. The three of them gasped at Cole's new appearance. For whatever reason, Cole seemed happy for them to find this shocking. His eyes once more merry again. From behind Cole, came another man. This man was tall like Alfonzo. He had a strong upper body, but strangely small legs and feet. His hair was long and black, and done into a pony tail. He had a pointed nose and viscous looking yellow eyes. He was dressed tan pants and brown shirt with shoulder pads and he was also wearing a bandana around his mouth. But what caught everyone's attention was his arm which was in a metal gauntlet that made it look robotic.

"My goodness, pretending to be a human is exhausting." Cole said "Who knew that Chancellor was just another word for royal babysitter? I had meant to keep the ruse up a bit longer. But you pushed me to this, Princess." Cole said with a glare at Zelda. "Bringing in the boy and the engineer didn't help either."  
"What are you talking about?" Zelda asked. Cole looked at her as if she were the stupidest person he had ever met. Cole sighed.

"I'm talking about your infernal meddling!" Cole said and began pacing back and forth. "But now that those vile tracks are disappearing, the time is finally at hand! All we need now is…a little help—hee hee—from you, Your Highness!" Cole said the last three syllables slowly with deep hatred coming from each one. Zelda gasped and took a step back. Alfonzo quickly jumped in front of her with his arms spread out wide, as if he were a soccer goalie defending a goal.

"I don't know who these two are, Your Highness." Alfonzo said "But with your permission…I'd be happy to teach them some manners." With that Alfonzo took out his sword from its sheath and held it with both hands near his left ear.

"Nyee hee hee hee hee! How gallant! How brave! How incredibly foolhardy!" Cole yelled at Alfonzo.

"Enough out of you!" Alfonzo said "My family has served the royal house for generations!" Alfonzo began moving in offensive position. Cole glared at him and then turned to his partner

"Melodrama bores me. Byrne, would you kindly dispose of this fool?

"This man speaks the truth, Cole." The person named Byrne said, he had a bored voice. "His movements are not those of an amateur. But he is only human…" he raised his clawed gauntlet at Alfonzo and the two began circling each other like wolves. Suddenly with incredible speed, Alfonzo slashed at Byrne. It happened twice and Link barely saw. Byrne however blocked with ease. Alfonzo slashed twice more, placing more power in these hits. It didn't seem to be too much for Byrne who continued blocking with little concern. They were soon in a deadlock.  
"I told you, I will defend the princess at any cost!" Alfonzo yelled.

"And I told you. You're only human." Byrne said, sounding as bored as ever and gave a small chuckle. Alfonzo was soon overpowered by Byrne's strength and Byrne used his free and to punch Alfonzo. This knocked Alfonzo off balance for a moment but he quickly reclaimed it and turned back around. Byrne aimed another punch, this time with his gauntlet. Alfonzo placed the sword in a downward defense position but this didn't help. The fist struck the sword and sent it through Alfonzo's stomach. The impact of the fist itself sent Alfonzo twenty feet back until he hit his back on the train's passenger car.

Link watched as his teacher flew and fell in a crumpled heap. He was at the very least unconscious. Zelda gave a small whimper. Cole gave a cheer and both of them approached Link and Zelda.

"Nyee hee hee hee hee! Oh, Byrne, you do know how to put on a show!" Cole said

"Hmph, it was hardly a fair fight, Cole." Byrne said walking toward Zelda, Cole in his wake.

Link was scared, he had never known anyone stronger than Alfonzo, and this man had beaten him easily. But if Link was scared, it was nothing to Zelda. She turned to Link with her scared wide eyes.

"Help me, Link!" Zelda pleaded. Link had never seen anyone more scared in his entire life. He couldn't let these people hurt Zelda…yet they were so strong…what hope did he have? Link steeled himself and very quickly stepped in front of Zelda with his arms stretched out just like Alfonzo's had been, staring determinedly at Byrne. Zelda looked at Link gratefully. The only reason she had asked him for help was because she was so scared and couldn't think properly. If she could she would have never sent anyone to do something Alfonzo couldn't, part of her doubted Link would do this. Zelda began backing away, looking for a place to flee. But Link's diversion didn't last long enough. Byrne glanced at him for a moment, and then swatted him away with his flesh, human hand. Link flew ten feet away and Zelda whimpered. Link hadn't lost consciousness yet but he couldn't move. He was forced to watch as Byrne advanced on Zelda who desperately wanted to escape. Byrne was less than a foot away. "No! Don't come any closer!" Zelda begged. It was incredibly sad for Link to see her in this position. It felt the same way it would feel for you to see a puppy outside your house on a rainy day with no shelter. She looked as cute as ever but it was so sad to watch her backed into a corner this way. Link desperately tried to get his body to move, but it wouldn't. Right now Link wanted nothing more than to protect the poor princess.

Suddenly Cole jumped up from behind Byrne and shot a blast of dark energy at Zelda. Zelda screamed and Link gasped as Zelda fell to the ground. Zelda's body glowed for a bit and a ball of light flew from there. It hung in midair for a bit and then sped off to the direction of the castle.

"Good work, Byrne…had I missed the plan would be ruined. Using that is close to a once in a life time chance. At any rate that takes care of the first step of our plan. Nyee hee hee hee hee…our work is done here. Come now, Byrne!" Cole said. Link groaned, once again trying to move, all he could do is raise his hand feebly as Byrne and Cole carried Zelda's body away. Link's hand dropped. He couldn't move at all anymore. He had failed both Alfonzo and Zelda, he had let her down. She was likely dead or going to get killed. She had trusted him and he had let her down. Link soon fell unconscious.

Hmmm seeing how I played this thirteen times so far I think my memory for it is pretty accurate, except, of course, the stuff I added. Anyway that's the last opening chapter tell me what you think so far. Thanks.


	4. Ahh, rats!

Link blinked and found he was in a completely different place. It was a room made of stone with two beds. There was some guard equipment in this room and it seemed to be day.

"Welcome back, boy." A voice said. Link turned and saw Zelda's teacher. Link was even more surprised to see how easily he could move.

"Um…hello." Link said, he was hoping Teacher would fill him in on what happened and tell him Zelda had been rescued, that she was safe, perhaps that she was waiting to see Link and ask how he was feeling. Unfortunately Teacher didn't say anything of this instead Teacher said

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake. There was some hubbub outside. When I came to investigate, people were saying the Spirit Tracks were disappearing…at that point, the guards brought you and Alfonzo in from outside. Both of you were out cold, so I've been waiting for you to come to."  
"How long have we been here?" Link asked.

"The guards brought you here last night." Teacher responded. Link was surprised; he had thought he would have been here for days.

"Now tell me, what happened?"

"Is Alfonzo dead?" Link asked. If Teacher was asking him what happened, then that must have meant that Alfonzo didn't wake yet. He was older and stronger than Link, surely if he was alive he would be up and going before Link was.

"I doubt that, he was breathing last time we checked." Teacher said. Link gave a sigh of relief and stared sadly at Alfonzo who was still unconscious on the other bed. "Now, if you please, give me an account on what happened there."

"Oh right, sorry." Link said "Well this is what happ—" Link stopped unsure whether he should tell Teacher what happened or not.

"Yes what happened?" Teacher asked.

"Err…it's a bit of an unbelievable story, really. You might not believe me but I swear it happened."  
"Continue." Teacher said. Link sighed and recounted what had happened. He left out the part where he snuck Zelda past the guards though, making it seem like she did it herself and met him and Alfonzo at the train station. "So what you're saying is…" Teacher said after Link had finished "The chancellor is some kind of monster? And he kidnapped Princess Zelda? Hmm…my goodness what a story! You're just pulling my leg though, aren't you?"  
"I swear I'm not!" Link exclaimed.

"So it's true you say…hmm…"

"Zelda has been kidnapped!" Link cried. There must have been something about the way he said that this that was very convincing for it seemed that Teacher believed him judging by what he next said.

"So…what you're saying is…the princess has been kidnapped! This is terrible! I must inform the princess at once!" Link raised an eye at this. "…Ah, yes, that's right. She's not here. Well, I'm at a loss as what to do. Hmm…what to do…what to do." Link headed over to Alfonzo and shook him a bit.  
"Wake up, Alfonzo…" Link muttered. To his surprise Alfonzo actually did wake up.

"Unngh…my head…did they hurt you too, Link? And what happened to the princess? Did she escape unharmed?" Without waiting for an answer, Alfonzo continued "As long as I'm laid up, you're responsible for her safety, Link!"  
"Alright Alfonzo…" Link said softly, deciding not to mention that Zelda was probably dead. Link left the nervous, shaking Teacher and Alfonzo and headed back outside. He was going to ask if his train had been recovered or if he could get news on what happened. He asked the guards but all that they seemed to know was that the Spirit Tracks had vanished. Several kept asking where Zelda and Cole where. Link decided not to answer these questions. It was too time consuming to repeat the story and nobody would believe him anyway. Just as Link gave up hope he heard a voice. A high, yet soft voice, yelling in distress. Link gasped, he recognized it as Zelda's voice.

"Hello! Hello! Guards! Please help me! …Can any of you see me? I need your help!" Link heard some silent sniffing, it sounded as though Zelda was crying.

"Zelda!" Link cried.

"Huh wuzzat?" A guard answered in response. "Where's Zelda? Kid, if you see Zelda let someone know immediately, we need her."  
"Didn't you hear her?" Link asked

"Ummm…no….hey listen kid we found you knocked out awhile ago, I'm surprised you can even move with the injuries you had. I suggest you go back to sleep, OK?"

"I don't need sleep!" Link insisted "I HEARD her…she was going up those stairs."

"Alright, if you say so kid, just don't bother the other guards, OK?" Link rolled his eyes and headed upstairs.

"Help! I need your help!" Link saw Zelda this time; she was looking a guard right in the face and desperately yelling. How could they ignore her? For some reason Zelda was floating, and she looked even whiter than before. She also seemed to be glowing a bit. "…Why can't anyone hear me?" Zelda asked out loud, sounding close to tears. Link watched as she passed through the door leading to the staircase to her room. Link followed her. Link walked slowly in her room. Zelda stood there with her back to him, Link heard Zelda sniff again.  
"Zelda…" Link whispered. For a moment nothing happened, then Zelda gave a small gasp and turned to face Link. She seemed scared of Link, she seemed to be afraid that he couldn't see her or hear her voice either. There was more silence, and then suddenly Zelda spoke in a scared trembling voice.

"…Can you…see me, Link?" Link nodded. Zelda was quiet for a few more seconds before she spoke. "…I must apologize to Alfonzo for what happened. And to you, too. I never knew the chancellor was capable of such evil. All these years, and I never noticed what he really was. I was a fool." Link had a feeling the only reason Zelda wasn't crying was because she couldn't in this spirit form. He had never seen someone look so miserable in all his life. "And the Tower of Spirits breaking apart…you saw it too, didn't you, Link?" Zelda didn't wait for Link to answer this; she knew he had seen it. "It must have something to do with the dark forces." The chat was far from cheerful, yet it seemed to cheer Zelda up a bit. She at least had someone to talk to now. It was true that she wished Link would respond more because part of her was scared that he couldn't hear her at all and that she only imagined he could. But it was still comforting that perhaps someone knew she was here and cared enough to listen to what she had to say. At any rate, Zelda didn't look close to tears anymore. "After all, they made the Spirit Tracks disappear. This must be the handiwork of Cole and his cronies. But what could their goal be? He said something about the Spirit Tracks vanishing. What did he mean by that?"

"Maybe he thinks by killing you he may become the new king?" Link suggested.

"But why would they take my body with them? What will they do with it?" Zelda didn't notice this, but she was beginning to float in the air. Link stared as she rose in the air and resisted the temptation to look up her dress.

"Umm…Zelda."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Zelda said, realizing she had been floating in the air. "It seems I'm much…lighter without my body." Zelda lowered herself back to the ground "Listen, Link. Let's try again to go to the Tower of Spirits. Now more than ever, we must find the tower's sage! But before we go, I want to show you something." Zelda floated to her left and lead Link to the place she put her pan flute. "This Spirit Flute is a prized family heirloom. It's been handed down for generations." Zelda said "It originally belonged to one of my ancestors, the one who founded this kingdom. It is my greatest treasure. I can't carry it in this state, as you can see. But I'm certain it's meant to protect me. I can hardly ask you to do any more for me…" Zelda said looking at Link with a look of deepest remorse "But…will you take this? And will you come to the tower with me? You're the only person I can turn to now." Zelda looked like she was on the verge of tears again as she looked at Link. _How can I expect him to accept after all I put him through? _Link however gave Zelda a small smile and nodded saying

"Of course I will, Zelda. I promise to take good care of your flute too." Link walked over to the flute and took it. Carefully putting it in his bag, he turned to face Zelda who sniffed again.

"Th-thank you, Link! This means so much to me!" Zelda said giving Link a hug. She felt strangely cold. "Oh…I d-didn't know I could touch anything in this body…"

"It's because I can see you and hear you, I guess I can touch you as well." Link suggested. Zelda nodded.

"I swear I will repay you someday, Link."

"You don't need to."

"But I will…now shall we go?" Zelda asked. Link nodded and headed out the bedroom, as he got close to the door Zelda stopped him. "Wait a second, Link! The tracks are gone, and even if they weren't we don't have a train." Link groaned, he had intended to find his train or a new one and leave, he had forgotten all about the tracks despite the fact so many people reminded him they were missing. They couldn't walk to the tower; that was a safety hazard. There were monsters all over the land, and they would be in danger without a train.

"How can we get to the Tower of the Spirits?" Link asked.

"Oh, I know!" Zelda exclaimed "I've heard there's a path from the castle to the tower….But if it does exist, it certainly hasn't been used recently. There's a door at the back of the castle. Maybe the path is somewhere there. Let's go see!" Link nodded and headed out of the room once more.

"Where do I go?" Link asked.

"Just head through that door back in the throne room and take the door to your right." Zelda said. Link nodded and did as he was told. "The door's right there." Zelda said pointing to a door with a guard standing by. Link nodded and headed towards it.

"Excuse me." Link said as he approached the guard.

"What is it, Recruit?" the guard asked.

"I would like to go through here, please."  
"Eh? You want to leave through this door?"

"Yes please."  
"Well, I can tell just by looking at you that you aren't adequately prepared. There are all sorts of strange beasts on the other side of this door. It's not the kind of place you want to go to without a weapon!"  
"He's right, Link." Zelda said "Heading to the Tower of Spirits without a weapon is too dangerous. Why don't you find the guard captain and ask him to loan you a weapon. He'll probably just think you want it for training." Link nodded and headed away from the guard before asking Zelda.

"Where is the guard captain?"  
"Most likely in the training room…err since I know this castle better than you do just go where I tell you to." Link nodded at this. "Head up the stairs…go to your left…er I mean my left. OK, that's not the training room, just ignore it. Ok…keep going in that direction. Head outside here…now climb down these stairs. Head to your right…ok see that room over there? No that one! Yes…that's the training room."  
"Thanks, Zelda." Link said.

"You're welcome." Zelda said as Link entered. The training room had four guards, one of which was unmistakably the captain. He was the burliest of them all; he had a lot of blond hair and beard, he also had a large nose. He wore a blue captain's badge and sheath. The room was full of weight lifting equipment and weapons.

"Umm…hello," Link said awkwardly "I was wondering if I could borrow a weapon…so I can slay the monsters out in the back door."  
"Eh? What now, Recruit? You want a weapon so you can leave through the back of the castle? Did I get that right?"  
"Right."

"Some guard you are, running around with no weapon! There's something fishy about this…are you really a new recruit?" Link gulped, this guy was pretty sharp. "Heh heh heh! Your eyes tell the whole story! All right! Choose a weapon!" Link looked around at the selection and ended up picking the sword. It was his size and finely crafted out of steel and with a hilt of gold, with a blue sapphire on it. Link swung it a little bit, getting used to the feel.  
"Thank you." Link said gratefully

"Hey but listen, just because you have sword, that doesn't make you a swordsman. Let me see if you're truly worthy of handling a weapon like that!" the captain called all the other guards to where he and Link where. "All right, time for a little sword practice." Russell said "These fellows are here to help you train…don't hold back when attacking them or you're done for. Let's see what you make of them. If you need some advice come ask me. Now…begin!" Link gulped as the three guards ganged up on him. Link did several quick slashes at one while the others prepared their spears to attack. They only used the butt end, not wanting to hurt Link. Link ducked just in time and both of these ended up poking their comrade. Link took this as an opportunity to attack. To his surprise he actually got one of the guards on his arm. Link gasped

"Woah there! Don't be cocky just because he's a recruit. You need to take this seriously!" the guard captain yelled.

"I-I was!" the guard stammered.

"Alright…you're out." The captain sighed. The other two looked at Link very seriously and fought much more determinedly. The poked at Link who dodged at slashed their spears away. One made a slashing movement with his spear which Link blocked with the sword. They were in a deadlock, and the other guard was creeping towards Link ready to send the bottom of his spear at Link's head like a club. Link quickly broke the deadlock and the other guard fell into his place. The two quit pushing on each other but too late. Link gave a powerful swing with his sword and sent the spear flying out of one guards and broke the bottom of the other.

"Enough…I must say you have some potential, Recruit, a lot of potential. Before you go, let me teach you one move. It's called the spin attack. You just might be able to pull it off…now stand back. Link backed up a good deal while the captain took out his sword. He held it at his side, and then suddenly, quickly turned on the spot with his blade going in a perfect circle. "Alright, now you try." The captain said. Link nodded and tried to repeat what Russell did. It seemed too slow to be right though. "Aww…no, no, no, Recruit. You're sword fighting, not joining the ballet. OK watch again, I will do it slowly. Pay extra attention to my feet and how I move my legs…ok now." The captain did a slower spin attack; Link caught his mistake this time. "Alright now you do it again, this time twist your legs and don't dance on your toes…perfect! That's the way to do it, Recruit. Alright the sword's yours. Come back sometime to polish your skills." Link nodded and headed back out.

"You did a wonderful job! That was just amazing, Link!" Zelda complimented

"Heh…thanks." Link said a little shyly.

"Now that you have a sword, we can exit through the door in the back."  
"Let's go!" Link and Zelda said together. Both of them laughed at this and a few guards stared at Link who grinned sheepishly. Link backtracked until he found the guard whom he had spoken to earlier.

"Hey, Recruit! There are all sorts of monsters on the other side of this door!" the guard said as soon as he saw Link "I told you already that I can't let you out there without a weapon or—oh, I see you got yourself a weapon. All right then. Be careful out there!" Link nodded and thanked the guard before heading outside. The first thing Link saw was a monster. It was brownish type of creature.

"Link that's a spinut!" Zelda said. Link looked at her questioningly. "Well, Teacher taught me a lot about wild-life and other things." Zelda said "I'm just saying you ought to kill it, it's pretty nasty and mean." Link nodded and held his sword up. Link slashed the spinut and continued on.

"I need some backup here!" a voice called. It was a guard; he was surrounded by spinuts and looked defenseless. Link quickly slashed at the spinuts until they were all dead. Link approached the guard "Oh erm, hey there." The guard said awkwardly. "It's dangerous being out here by yourself with all these monsters!"

"Right…well um, listen I'm looking for a secret pathway to the Tower of Spirits. Know anything that might help?" Link asked.

"What? You're searching for a tunnel that will take you to the Tower of Spirits? Well there was a path up that way." The guard said pointing north "But recently rock falls have closed it off."

"Right, thanks." Link said heading north where the guard pointed. Link sighed; in all honesty he didn't really think the sage of the Tower was going to help them. Link had thought even since the Tower broke apart, that either the sage was dead or never existed. It was only because Link didn't Zelda to lose hope and that he wanted to try something, that he bothered at all. "Now what are we going to do?" Link asked.

"Well…we could examine the wall…" Zelda suggested. Link nodded and looked all around at the wall. "Ooh, look over there! There's a boulder here!" Zelda exclaimed.

"I can't move that, Zelda." Link said.

"Yeah I know…hmm maybe we can ask some guards to help…oh wait look over there, Link!" Zelda exclaimed pointing at a bunch of grass.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"See that plant? No that one! Yes the one that looks like a bomb."  
"What about it?" Link asked.

"It's a bomb flower, if you pick it up it will soon explode. We can use it to clear the path." Zelda said.

"Explodes…err…will I have enough time to set it down and escape?" Link asked

"I think so…"  
"What?"

"I'm pretty sure!" Zelda said trying to calm Link down. "I mean people use it for this kind of stuff all the time…"  
"Alright…I'll use the bomb." Link said gulping and picking up the bomb. He quickly threw it at the wall and ran full speed away. The bomb exploded and the boulder was no more.

"You did it, Link!" Zelda cried. "Now let's head in." Link nodded and walked in the tunnel. The inside was very earthy and smelled pretty bad. Zelda looked around and gave a small shudder. "It's awfully dark in here. And it's kind of damp too. Is this really the way to the tower?" Zelda realized she was whining and added "Oh I'm sorry. I was just thinking out loud. Come on, Link! Let's go!" Link continued walking through the dark cave. He went slowly because he couldn't see well yet.

"Out of curiosity, what were you expecting, Zelda?" Link asked "I mean surely by the time we got to the entrance you realized the tunnel was going to be a cave, right?"

"I know that…it's just I find it odd that people would use this as a way to the tower…I mean this was used by royalty at some point!" Link forced himself not to laugh as Zelda displayed the obvious signs of being a pampered princess. Link stopped and listened suddenly

"Zelda, do you hear that?" suddenly a bat creature swooped down and bit Link. "What the—" Link slapped at the bat, but it flew away too quickly. "Why did that bat bite me?"

"That wasn't a bat…at least I don't think it was. I think that thing is called a keese. They are a type of monster—don't worry the bite isn't poisonous, but it can't be fun either. So try to avoid them or get rid of them."  
"Alright…thanks." Link muttered as he continued through the cave, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Hey what is this red slimy thing?" Link asked as he moved his hand over it. It felt a little pleasant and fun.

"ChuChu!"  
"Aren't you a little old to be making train sounds?" Link asked

"No, no, Link that's the name of the monster. That red stuff...is ALIVE!"  
"WOAH!" Link backed up just in time for several of these things tried to jump at his head. Looking more closely, Link saw the blobs were moving and had faces. They looked happy and giddy and as though they were painted on. Link quickly pulled out his sword and used a spin attack. All four were dead.

"Good job, Link!" Zelda cheered

"Thanks." Link said. "Hey what's this?" Link asked more to himself than Zelda. It was a finely made door with some sort of hole in the middle. On closer examination, Link realized it was a key hole. "We need a key? You must be joking!" Link cried "The key could be anywhere in the world! Zelda, by chance do you have some sort of family heirloom key that you know is meant to open this door?"

"No, sorry…" Zelda apologized. "But don't give up yet, check around just a little bit more, OK?"  
"OK, Zelda…" Link said as he swung his sword at a keese and the monster fell to the floor. Link walked around a bit more, occasionally feeling for wall. Suddenly Link felt himself lower a few inches. "Woah!" Link said stepping back, he had stepped on a switch, and when he stepped on the switch and off, he noticed that each time there was a rumbling noise. "What was that?" Link asked.

"I don't know…hang on stay on the switch and I will look around." Zelda said. Link nodded and stood still. It wasn't long before Zelda shouted "The doors open!"  
"The one with the key hole?" Link asked

"No, some other door! There's a chest in here." Link stepped off the switch and followed Zelda's voice. "And it's gone…"

"OK…OK hang on, I'll be right back." Link took a running start, and then quickly ran to the switch and then door. It was too late though.

"Sorry, Link, I don't think you're fast enough." Zelda said "Maybe you can weigh it down with something?" as if an answer to this the two then suddenly saw something. A heavy block, just small enough for Link to move. "I think that's what this is for," Zelda said "Why else would it be here? Go on Link give it a try." Link nodded and set off to work with the block. Soon he managed to get it in the narrow area with the switch. Once it was on the switch, Link walked to the door with the chest. Inside the chest was no treasure, but a key. "Maybe it opens an ever greater chest full of treasure?" Zelda suggested.

"Or maybe it opens that door we were having trouble with." Link said

"Oh! Tee hee! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Zelda said laughing. Link chuckled a bit too and headed to the locked door. The key fit in perfectly and the door lead to an uphill slope. Link continued on. In this next area were two ChuChus and a stone slab with Hylian text etched on. For while these people spoke English, they wrote differently than us. I will translate everything to English for simplicity. Link slayed the ChuChus and read the sign. _The door won't open if you just hit the switches in a circle. _Link jumped over a small body of water and saw that there were three signs. Link read them all. _After the bottom switch is the left. You should hit the top switch before the bottom. Hit the right switch before the top. _Link saw some bomb flowers again and continued moving. He felt a wall, and began moving his hands over it. There were cracks.

"Looks like I'll need some bomb flowers again." Link said picking up a bomb flower and throwing it at the wall. When it exploded, Link walked back and bumped in the wall. "What the? It didn't do anything?"

"No, I think it did, there's probably just another wall or two behind it. Try again." Zelda said.

"Alright…" Link muttered picking up another bomb flower and throwing it. When it exploded Link saw the wall was gone. "Hey you were right! Thanks, Zelda!" Link walked in the room and saw four purple orbs attached to pedestals and two spinuts. Link killed the spinuts and looked at the orbs. Link began moving his hand over one, and then tapped it. Suddenly it turned green and a mysterious ticking filled the room. "It's a trap!" Link gasped and started fleeing the room. Zelda tried to pull Link back but she could only touch him in this form, she didn't have any force whatsoever. Link did feel her touch, though, and stopped.

"What is it, Zelda?"  
"Link I think that isn't a trap. I think it's a switch. These must be the four switches!" Link looked back at the switch he tapped and saw the ticking just now died and it turned back to purple.

"You think so?"

"I'm pretty sure…"

"Alright then…I'll give it a shot." Link thought of the clues and decided the order must be right, up, down, left and hit them in this order. The ticking started again but when Link hit all four and they were all green it stopped and a door to their right opened.

"Great job! You did it, Link!" Zelda cheered

"Yeah…thanks for thinking with a clear head, Zelda."

"No problem." Zelda said as they walked up another slope. There were several keese here. Link slayed two but Zelda shouted

"Link, look out!" from his other side and Link saw another trying to swoop down when his back was turned. Link placed the sword right in front of his face instinctively and the poor keese cut itself as it flew straight at it and fell. "Woah! Great job!"  
"That was an accident." Link said as the continued. Suddenly strange little sounds came from somewhere and the two of them stopped.

"Do you hear…squeaking, Link?" Zelda asked

"Keese?"  
"No…" Zelda moved a bit forward at this and looked for the source of the noises. Suddenly out from a large rat hole came two foot long rats. "Ayiiiiiiiii! Oh, how horrid!" Zelda screamed. It was clear she had a rat phobia. Link gulped; in truth he had a rat phobia too. Yet it was obvious by how Zelda was screaming that hers was worse. Link gulped and steeled himself. Link suddenly charged at the rats and slashed at them with his sword. When both were dead he kicked them several feet away from Zelda. "Th-thank you…" Zelda stuttered gratefully "Those beasts were just terrifying! I never want to see them again…" Zelda went closer to Link and they continued the rest of the way with Zelda floating behind Link, clearly afraid there were more rats.

"If it makes you feel better, you are a spirit so those rats can't get you." Link said

"How do you know? Maybe animals can see me just like you…and you can touch me! And did who see who those rats were circling me? Teasing me…"  
"Well I promise I won't let any get you, OK?" Link said decided not to mention how much they scared him. That would only make Zelda less confident about traveling with him.

"Thank you, Link…" Zelda said as Link finally found what looked like the exit.

"I think we're here, Zelda." Link said pushing the top of what looked like a trap door. Link blinked several times, the daylight was hard to get used to. Link and Zelda made there way outside and saw that the top of the trap door was covered in earth and grass. Undetectable from the rest of the area. Link put the trap door back and he and Zelda began walking (or floating) to the Tower. Zelda now at Links side, no longer afraid of being attacked by rats. When they were close they both looked up. The Tower was, of course, still broken floating pieces. This was an ominous sight and now that Link thought about it, didn't Byrne and Cole head this direction? Link and Zelda glanced at each other and nodded, both privately agreeing that they didn't come here for nothing. With that, they both headed to the Tower, Link running, Zelda flying with her arms stretched out in front of her as though she were a super hero.

So how does this compare to the real game? Pretty accurate, save the parts I added? Did the parts enhance the story or make it worse? Please review.


	5. The Phantom

Just so you know, _Italics either indicates reading or Zelda's thoughts. __**Bold and Italics are Link's thoughts.**_

Link and Zelda rushed in the Tower. The first thing they saw was what looked like a stone train. It was held on a pedestal which made it look like a monument, yet it looked so real and had a lot of detail put into it.

"What's this train?" Zelda asked. Link and Zelda turned for they suddenly heard the merry laughter of an old woman who said

"This, my dear, is the spirits' train. They entrusted us with its keeping." As she said this she moved out from behind the train.

"How did you know that? And…you can hear me? Are you…the sage of this tower?" Zelda asked. The women smiled. She was short, as short as Link and wore a white and purple robe, and a red and orange pendant. She had gray hair done up in a very strange style, running up her head and curling back down in one long, thick, single curl. She had a pointed nose, and she also had pointed ears, like many Hylians including Link and Zelda had, yet hers stuck out more. What both noticed most was that she was riding some strange device like a wheel chair but only two wheels. It seemed to move on her very whim, she didn't need to push herself at all. From the back came smoke similar to what they often saw come out of trains. For some reason her right eye was closed, but she opened it as she spoke again.

"Well, I wouldn't put it exactly that way." The women said. "But I do watch over the Tower of Spirits. My name is Anjean."

"Am I glad to see you!" Zelda said enthusiastically. "There's something we have to talk to you about!" Zelda began explaining the details of what had happened to them for the last day and that the tracks had disappeared.

"Mm, yes, that pallor you're sporting is quite frightful." Anjean said "One might even call it…rather hideous, in fact."

"Hideous? How dare you?" Zelda cried. Anjean gave a small chuckle

"I see that feistiness runs in your family, my dear. But there's no need to get your feathers all ruffled."

"Oh…did you know someone in my family?" Zelda asked. Anjean laughed again

"Feisty AND bright, just like she was! The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Yes, I knew one of your ancestors. I met her when she had just arrived here. She and I were friends for a very long time." Anjean said giving her merry laugh once more.

"My family first arrived here about a century ago. Were you already here in the tower then, Anjean?" Zelda asked.

"That's a story for another time, my dear." Anjean said "Right now, we must discuss a matter more grave. Tell me, do you know the story of this tower?" Link nodded and Zelda said

"Only what the folktales say…long ago, the spirits of good and the Demon King were embroiled in a never ending war. In the end, the spirits could not defeat him. But they did manage to imprison him in this tower."  
"It's not chains or bars that keep him imprisoned," Anjean said "but an energy that flows between the tower and the four temples that surround it."  
"Oh, of course! Then, Anjean, then the Spirit Tracks—"

"Correct, my dear. The Spirit Tracks carry that energy. If the tracks are lost, the tower's energy will fade, and so will the Demon King's prison. And that's just what the evil ones are after! They aim to resurrect Malladus, the Demon King. Right now, my strength maintains his shackles, but it's only a matter of time until they're broken." Anjean stopped for a moment and glanced at Zelda before continuing "Of course, in order to resurrect Malladus, they need one other key ingredient…" Anjean pointed at Zelda and said "A vessel from the royal line of ancient Hyrule, with sacred power coursing through its veins." Zelda stared in shock. "Yes, Malladus requires YOU in order to return. But…only your shell, my dear. It would be the only vessel suitable for him to inhabit." There was silence for a moment. Link had never seen anyone as shocked and speechless and Zelda was now. He couldn't help but feel really bad for her. Link was just about to say something comforting when suddenly Zelda soared up in the air and let out a high pitched, spine chilling shriek that echoed all over the tower and hurt Link's ears. It sounded something between screaming and sobbing.

"Nooooooooo! The Demon King is going to run around in MY body? BLECH! That's too disgusting for words!" suddenly Zelda soared back down until she was only a few inches from Anjean. "We HAVE to stop them! We can't let the Demon King return!"  
"My thoughts exactly, my dear." Anjean said calmly even though Zelda was screaming in her face. "At the top of this tower is your body. The Demon King's spirit is also there. To prevent him from possessing your body, you must fortify his prison. To do this, restore energy between the temples and this tower. In other words…restore the tracks between here and the temples."

"But how?" Zelda screamed. As much as Link pitied Zelda right now he couldn't blame Anjean for moving back as Zelda said this. "How do we restore the Spirit Tracks?"

"The answer lies above us in the floors of this tower. Four stone rail maps are enshrined there. You must retrieve them. As you know, this tower connects our kingdom. Right now, the tower is filled with an evil energy. If you can get far enough to retrieve a rail map, a portion of the tracks will be restored. Start your search by climbing the stairs."

"Of course! Thank you, Anjean!" Zelda said and rounded on Link. Her face was only two inches from his. All of the pity Link had been feeling turned into fear at the sight of Zelda. Her eyes, which used to look so kind and gentle, looked even scarier than Cole's. "You have a very important mission ahead of you." Zelda yelled "The kingdom is in danger. We're all counting on you. You understand the gravity of the situation, don't you?" After each sentence Zelda went closer and closer to Link, until their faces were almost touching. "You must find the sacred rail maps in this tower! I will wait for you here. That's what princesses have always done. From what I understand, it's kind of a family tradition. No need to be scared. Just buck up and get moving—" Anjean gave a small cough which interrupted Zelda. For some reason it also seemed to calm her down, she didn't look nearly as deadly as before.  
"Sorry to interrupt such, um, an enthusiastic pep talk," Anjean said. "But ascending this tower alone would be impossible. There are traps set to snag trespassers…not to mention that pesky little monster infestation…"  
"…Is that so? Well, I feel terrible for asking, but…Anjean, can you guide Link upstairs?" Zelda asked.  
"Have you already forgotten what I said?" Anjean asked "I have my hands full just keeping the tower together. I'm sorry, my dear, but I just can't leave my post."  
"Then what should we do?" Zelda asked, looking nervous. "Should we go back and Alfonzo? Oh, but he's wounded. Teacher? The captain of the castle guard? But I suppose there's no time for that, is there…"  
"What if you went with him, my dear?" Anjean asked. Zelda's eyes grew wide and fearful as she turned slowly to face Anjean.

"…Me? Go with him? But I'm not sure how much help I'd be in this state."  
"Well, my dear, this kingdom is your responsibility. You mustn't ever forget that. I'm sure you'll find a way to help out somehow." Zelda gave a sad sigh and turned to Link.

"Well…all right. We'd better get going then, Link." Link stood still with his mouth gaping open for a few moments before letting out a long sigh. He had a feeling Zelda was going to be a handful, and he was feeling a little hurt about her not wanting to come with him. _**I thought she liked me… **_I hope you don't judge Zelda the same way Link did. She wasn't trying to avoid Link because she didn't like him; it was more because she was afraid and in my opinion, raised poorly. Your parents may have taught you to be brave and courageous, perhaps to not be afraid of things such as insects or bugs because they can not hurt you. Zelda was taught the exact opposite as a princess. Her whole life she was told to be fragile and defenseless, to act like a damsel in distress, because that was what princesses were known for. She was told to behave in a scared lady-like fashion at the sight of rats and bugs, which incidentally caused her to have a very real phobia of them. Zelda also didn't want to go with Link because she had seen him harmed on her watch before and was afraid he may get hurt again, and that she would be able to do nothing about it. Naturally she didn't want to place herself in that situation.

Nevertheless Link and Zelda headed through a stairway to climb the tower. The two of them stared open mouthed at the size of the staircase and tower. Even though it was broken, it was still huge. "So this is what the inside of the tower looks like. Let's head over there, Link!" Zelda said pointing to a door near the top of the staircase, the stairs after which were gone. Link nodded and began walking up the tower. Once he was at the top he went in the door.

Link and Zelda entered a hallway which led to a large square room. There was a huge door directly in front of them, Link headed this way and examined it.

"Look at those giant doors, Link!" Zelda exclaimed in awe. "They look really heavy. I don't think one person could open them alone." Zelda stared guiltily a Link, knowing that she was of no use here. Suddenly they heard a faint noise and turned; a small cloud of dark smoke appeared in front of the door and formed into what looked like a knight in green armor. It was huge with a spiked sword and large square shield. It was very intimidating as well. "Oh my gosh!" Zelda yelled "What in the world is that? I've never seen a monster as ferocious as that one. Let's get out of here, Link!" The monster turned its head toward them and began walking to Link. Judging by the sounds its footsteps made, it sounded as if there was nobody in the armor at all and it was an empty shell. Link stood his ground and slashed at the green warrior. His sword had no effect on its armor and it's sword had missed Link's head by an inch. "Link run! Please run! You can't beat this thing! Get out of here!" Zelda pleaded. Link glanced at Zelda and decided for her sake he would run. Link jumped back just as the warrior sent another swing at him and he ran down the stairs to Anjean.

"What's the matter? You look as pale as a ghost. Though given the company you've been keeping, perhaps it's no surprise." Anjean joked.

"Anjean! There was a ferocious monster up there with a great big sword!" Zelda said. "I don't see how we can possibly defeat it."  
"Sounds like a Phantom, my dear." Anjean said, not showing a sign of worry. "They're the guardians of the Tower of Spirits. Though they look quite sinister, they won't harm anyone with a good heart." Link shifted uncomfortably at this. Did this mean he was a bad person? Zelda however said

"I know what I saw! It was definitely after us! Why would it think Link is evil?" Zelda said turning her eyes to the kind boy who had helped her so much.

"There is one possible explanation…" Anjean said looking a little concerned now. "With the Spirit Tracks gone, perhaps and evil spirit has possessed the Phantom…"  
"If that's the case, we might have trouble beating it…" Zelda said.

"Hmm…hitting the Phantom in the back with your sword should stop it for awhile…" Anjean said "But first, you need to gather all three of the tears of light. That will power up your sword. Then you'll be able to face the Phantom!"

"Collect the three Tears of Light, then hit the Phantom in the back…" Zelda summarized slowly. "Sounds tricky."

"If anyone can do it, Link can." Anjean said.

"All right, let's give it a try, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded and the pair ran back up the long staircase and in the door. "The Phantom is still here…let's follow Anjean's instructions." Zelda said. "We have to grab all three Tears of Light without letting the Phantom see us. I can tell it means business, so we have to be brave! Er…well you have to be brave." Zelda added awkwardly. Link nodded and began checking for the Phantom was patrolling the room. When the cost was clear, Link headed down a corridor with a purple and gold floor that had a strange mist around it. Once he and Zelda reached it, they stopped; there was something strange about it. "There's something strangely calm about this area here." Zelda said. "Do you feel it too, Link?" Suddenly they both heard a voice

"Princess Zelda, Link…CAN YOU HEAR ME? It's ANJEAN!"

"Anjean!" Zelda exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, it's me, my dear. Listen…the area you are in now is a 'safe zone', one that is protected by the spirits. As long as you are in a safe zone, you are hidden from enemy view. Furthermore enemies cannot enter safe zones. Make good use of safe zones to hide from Phantoms. Now, you don't have time to waste. You must go find that rail map."  
"Thank you, Anjean!" Zelda said. "OK, Link! Let's get moving!" Link nodded and saw another safe zone close by. There was a golden item that reminded Link of a water drop, it was clearly the Tear of Light. Link put this in his pocket. "Good job, Link. Now we only need two more." Zelda said "Umm…if there's anything I can do to help, please tell me, OK?" Zelda said awkwardly.

"OK, if I think of something I will…" Link said looked around for the Phantom. "Wait…maybe there is something you can do…only I'm not sure it's safe."

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"Well, I don't know if the Phantom can see you or not, being a spirit and all, or if he can hurt you if he can see you."  
"Yeah…"

"Well I was thinking, if your safe, and I'm not sure if you are, maybe you can scout him out for me and warn me."  
"That's a great idea!" Zelda said heading out of the safe zone.

"Be careful though, OK?"

"Don't worry, Link. I'm already dead, what more can he do to me?"  
"Either way, I don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't."  
"If you say so…" Link said as Zelda began looking around.

"The coast is clear, and I think you ought to head to this safe zone here." Zelda said indicating a safe zone she was standing near. "There's a tear on the other side!"  
"Thanks!" Link said as he crossed to the next safe zone. He saw the Tear of Light and pocketed this one too.

"OK, I will check that next safe zone out." Zelda said floating to the next one. Link gasped, as she floated over there, Link saw the Phantom coming their way. Its eyes turned on Zelda who also gasped.  
"Run, Zelda!" Link cried. The Phantom turned to the safe zone Link was hiding in. Apparently it didn't make him unhearable to the Phantom. The Phantom knocked its fist against the area the safe zone was in and it made sounds as though it were knocking on a wall, and when Link thought about it, that's probably what it felt and saw. The Phantom then turned back to Zelda and passed her as though she weren't there. Link let out a sigh of relief, the Phantoms couldn't see her after all. Zelda gave a nervous giggle and turned her attention back to the other safe zone.

"Link, there's a tear here too! But it's across a gap and I don't think you can jump that far…" Link turned to his left and saw another purple orb on a pedestal, a switch. Near it was spikes that blocked him from going to the section Zelda was looking at. Instinctively, Link slashed at the orb and it turned green like the others. The mysterious ticking sound came again and there was a low rumbling noise. "Link a bridge appeared!" Zelda cried. Link quickly ran out the safe zone over to where Zelda was at and crossed the bridge. As soon as he crossed it, the ticking stopped and the bridge stayed put. Link grabbed the last tear. As soon as his hand touched it, it glowed gold and he could see a light coming from his pocket. Suddenly his sword glowed golden as well, and the sapphire turned green. Link smiled, he now had the power to defeat a Phantom. "Great job, Link!" Zelda said "Now you can sneak up on a Phantom and slash it!" Link smiled too, though sneaking up like a coward wasn't his preferred way to fight; he knew he couldn't be picky right now. "OK, I'll check on the Phantom." Zelda said going to her right. Link waiting until he heard Zelda's voice. "OK, he's heading towards me! Go in the opposite direction I did!" Link nodded to himself and went to the left, circling until he saw Zelda's face and the Phantom's back. Zelda gave him and wink and Link drove the sword into the Phantom. The creature shuddered and twitched, then became still. Link had won…or so he thought. Very suddenly, the Phantom turned facing Link. Link gasped and fell to the floor in shock.

"Look out, Link!" Zelda shrieked. The Phantom raised its big, heavy, spiked sword. Link desperately tried to crawl out of the way but knew it was too late. Soon that giant sword would be in his flesh and he would die. "Link!" Zelda screamed rushing at the Phantom's back, forgetting that she was only a spirit and therefore could not stop him, only thinking of Link and how close he was to death. Link closed his eyes, waiting for the impact, but it didn't come. Link slowly opened his eyes and gasped, the Phantom was still there. But now it was a different color, it was a dark pink; the sword was only inches from Link's face. Suddenly a pair of pink glowing eyes glowed from the Phantoms helmet. The Phantom straightened itself up and looked at its armor and weapons. Link then gasped for Zelda's voice spoke through the Phantom. "Wh-what just happened?" Zelda stuttered. "Don't look so scared, Link! It's me! It's Zelda!"  
"Z-zelda?" Link gasped as Zelda the Phantom offered Link her hand and helped him to his feet.

"I don't know what happened there!" Zelda said "But when I saw that Phantom corner you…I just leapt at it without even thinking!" Zelda looked over her body some more and moaned "Oh, this is really not my day, is it! First I lose my body…and now I look like a heap of scrap metal. And did I mention it's kind of hot in here?" Zelda sighed

"Well…thanks for saving me, Zelda…" Link said.

"Oh…wait a second!" Zelda said suddenly with inspiration. "Maybe I can be of some use to you like this. It's not exactly what you'd expect from a princess…but right now that can't really be helped." Link considered the idea for a moment. He didn't want to endanger Zelda, yet at the same time as a Phantom, Zelda might be even more useful than himself. Just when Link was about to express this Zelda stuck her sword in the air and yelled "Come on, Link, let's get moving! We need to find my body—I mean, that rail map!" Link gave Zelda a smile and laughed at bit. Despite being so nervous before, she sure seemed enthusiastic to help him now. Zelda grabbed Link's hand and dragged him to the door. "Let's get this door open. We can do it together, Link!" Link nodded and began pushing on the door. "Heave ho!" Zelda grunted as they pushed. Together they managed to open the door, it let to a set of stairs which Link and Zelda climbed. In front of them was a bunch of spikes. Link looked at Zelda, clearly hoping she had an idea to get past these. "I don't think you can get past these spiked floors, Link." Zelda said "Leave it to me! I'll figure something out!" Zelda wandered past the spikes with ease and as she turned she saw another switch. Zelda swung her new sword at it, much like Link did before, and the spikes disappeared.

"You did it, Zelda!" Link called heading towards her. They headed to their right and saw two floor switches and two spinuts.

"Ooh! Let me have these ones, Link!" Zelda said. Link laughed and said sure. Zelda charged at them as fast as she could go (which wasn't fast as a Phantom) and slayed them with ease. Without being told, Zelda stepped on one of the switchs and Link stepped on the other. A door opened and they both walked past it. To their horror there were rats here too. Zelda screamed and began cowering at the sight of them. Even as a Phantom she feared them. Link quickly disposed of them and blocked their hole. "Thanks, Link, that was scary!" Zelda said. There was another set of spikes and after it they saw another Phantom. They both gasped at this. How many Phantoms were there? "There's another Phantom, Link! But wait a second…now that I'm in disguise maybe I can trick him into thinking I'm one his side. I'll go try!" Zelda said passing through the spikes. As she walked over to the Phantom she noticed another purple switch in a safe zone. Zelda decided to approach this first and wondered if she could enter here. To her relief, she could, apparently it only worked on enemies. As she passed the Phantom spoke to her

"HOW GOES THE PATROL." It spoke in a loud emotionless voice.

"F-fine…" Zelda stammered. As she attacked the switch she saw the spikes lower and Link try to sneak to where she was. Zelda helped by moving to the Phantoms side and striking up a conversation, part of which Link heard as he passed.

"YOU LOOK CUTER THAN USUAL. WHY."

"O-oh…th-thank you…" Zelda stammered, Link forced himself not to laugh at this as he snuck and began climbing the stairs. "Don't leave without me!" Zelda cried

"WHAT." The Phantom asked. Zelda decided to stop playing her ruse and quickly rushed after Link up the stair case. Once there were in the next room Zelda left the Phantom and turned back into a spirit. She gave a sigh of relief and both looked down at Link's sword which stopped glowing.

"Aww…" Link moaned.

"Ahhh…it's nice to get out of that clanky outfit and back to my old self."  
"Clanky outfit?" Link asked "Don't you turn into a Phantom?"  
"I think that's all a Phantom is…I still felt like a girl if that's what you're wondering…urgh no offense but I don't think I could bear being a boy…" Link laughed at this. Both turned to the altar with a floating slab of stone on it. Link took it; it was a stone carving of a map to the forest realm. Suddenly it glowed and showed Link what would have looked like a movie to you. It showed Spirit Tracks coming from the Tower of Spirits and crossing over the land of Hyrule. It covered roughly half of what it used to in the forest realm (a province in Hyrule, the only one Link had ever been to), but it was definitely better than nothing. "Great job, Link!" Zelda cheered "This must be the rail map Anjean was talking about!" suddenly a blue foggy light appeared next to the two and they hard Anjean's voice again.

"This is Anjean here. Good work Princess Zelda, and Link! You've done well obtaining the rail map, but you can't go any further now. Step in the light to return to the tower lobby."  
"Well, you heard her, Link! Let's go!" Zelda said. Link nodded and together they stepped in the blue light which warped them to the lobby.

I changed it to Zelda willingly leaving the Phantom to cover up a plot hole in Spirit Track's story later. Hope you enjoyed. Also thank you for the reviews guys, I really appreciate it.


	6. Spirit Train

Link and Zelda found themselves at the foot of the stairs in the tower. They rushed to Anjean and told her what happened, not that she needed explaining. She had seen it all.

"Ah, so you managed to obtain the rail map!" Anjean said "You two just might be able to restore the Spirit Track in every realm!" The way she said this gave Link the impression she thought they were sure to die up there. Link considered asking her why she would let them up there if she was so doubtful but held his tongue.

"But, Anjean, the rail map has only a small part of the Spirit Tracks on it. Where are the temples you were talking about?" Zelda asked.

"In each of the following realms is a temple. Look, my dear, the closest one is here…" Anjean took the rail map from Link's hands and tapped it twice. It suddenly showed a very realistic view of Hyrule's forest realm, in fact Link could have sworn he saw a few birds fly past on it. Anjea then pointed at a large stone building with a massive tree growing over it. "But I don't think you can make it to the temple as things are right now. The rail map has imparted energy to a length of the Spirit Tracks here. But because of the Demon King's power, much of the energy was lost."  
"So…we can't go to the temples, Anjean?" Zelda asked feeling as though they had risked their lives and wasted their time for nothing.  
"Not yet. But there is a way to restore energy to the rail maps. You can ask my people to help you."  
"Your people, Anjean?" Zelda asked.

"Indeed. We are called the Lokomo. We are the servants of the spirits. They entrusted us with protecting the temples and the Spirit Tracks, by playing our sacred instruments. We generate energy that powers the Spirit Tracks."  
"Sacred instruments?"

"Yes, and the Spirit Flute you hold is one of them." Anjean said pointing the flute sticking out of Link's bag.

"This flute was a gift from my grandmother. I didn't know it had any powers." Zelda said. "I'd only heard it was something precious handed down from my ancestors."  
"Yes, and it was I who gave it to your ancestors. But only under the condition that they protect the land for all time. Of course, back then, I didn't think things would take such a perilous turn. I'm glad that after all of these years it has founds its way into your hands."  
"I had no idea this flute was so important…" Zelda said looking at it in awe. "My grandmother used to play it for me when I was a little girl. If I was sad or upset, the sound of this flute would make me feel better. But even so, I suppose its rightful place is with you, Anjean."

"No, the two of you will have need of it. Please take it with you! For now…you must go find the other Lokomo and restore the energy of the rail maps. Once you do, the Spirit Tracks will reappear. Go to the forest first, where you must talk to the Lokomo, Gage. South of the Forest Temple is a sanctuary where you can find Gage." Anjean said pointing to another area on the map. "He will be able to tell you where to go next."

"Got it!" Link and Zelda said.  
"Let's go, Link!" Zelda said but caught herself "Oh…but we don't have a train. How are we going to get to the forest?"  
"You may take this." Anjean said moving to the stone train. Only it wasn't stone now, it was finely crafted wood. And the pedestal was gone. It was now on its own set of tracks. "This train is a symbol of the spirits. People don't ordinarily ride around in it. But these are no ordinary circumstances. I'm sure the spirits wouldn't mind lending it to you."  
"Thank you, Anjean!" Zelda said gratefully. Link gave Anjean a nod and hoped on the train. The tracks suddenly turned and pointed the train to the Forest Realm. Link blew his whistle and set off. Link tried tapping the rail map like Anjean did and received the same results: a bird eyes view of the realm. Link propped this up on the drivers car of the train and looked around. Link set a course to where Anjean instructed. Link turned the speed to fast and Zelda stood next to Link. Since she was a spirit she was not worried about the danger of this. They passed Hyrule Castle Town and Zelda let out an audible sigh.

"Don't worry, I promise we will go back there sometime." Link said hoping to cheer Zelda up.

"Thanks Link…" Zelda said trying to look happier for him. "Oh…and I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier…can you forgive me?"

"Of course." Link said. Link blew the whistle for their entertainment. Zelda had to admit she loved the sound of it for some reason and gave Link a smile, which he returned.

"Oh! Look out! There's an animal on the tracks!" Zelda shouted. Link nodded and blew the whistle. The moink scurried away. Soon after something that looked like a flying elephant appeared before them. It used its long ears to fly, it was small, and it was blue and yellow colored. It blew its trunk at them and Link pulled his whistle. He knew how to deal with these, creatures. This was a snurgle, something Alfonzo complained about all the time for attacking the train and occasionally stealing fish he was delivering. Link knew from what Alfonzo told him, that they had sensitive ears and couldn't stand loud noises. This one was no different. It took off the second Link pulled the whistle. Link passed through an archway in the shape of a gear and passed Whittleton village. Link noticed that Aboda was close by but chose not to go there. It would be an inconvenience and it wasn't fair to Zelda who clearly wanted to see her home as well. Link continued on until he saw the forest and gulped.

"I've never been here before…"

"Me either…" Zelda said "I think we're heading into the Lost Woods…"  
"Lost Woods…? That's not a good sign…"  
"Be brave, Link!"  
"Yeah…I will." Link said as they got closer. Another snurgle approached and Link scared it away just like the last one. An animal was on the tracks near the forest. Link scared this away too. They were now in the forest itself. There were trees everywhere except on the tracks, it quickly grew dark here. Though Link wouldn't say it in front of Zelda, he was a little scared of the forest. It had a very sad lonely feeling, and it felt as though the trees were actually alive and watching him. Most of them seemed good…yet a few others seemed to want to get rid of Link.

"The forest feels…odd." Zelda said, taking a step closer to Link. Link could tell by her eyes that she was just as scared as he was. Link hoped it didn't show on his face. He wasn't trying to be tough, although that was a part of it; he wanted Zelda to feel safe around him. As she said, he was her last hope. He wanted to be someone she could depend on.

"Yeah…yeah the forest feels odd." Link said. Perhaps it was Link's imagination but the forest seemed to never end and almost all the trees looked exactly the same. Link could have sworn he saw a branch try to reach out and grab him. The forest went on and on. Link saw an old dead tree with a branch sticking out; its tip looked like a hand with a finger pointing in a direction. There was a fork ahead in the road and Link took the left path. The fork was comforting. It shot down his suspicion that the forest was all the same and never ending.

The train seemed to be going faster, as if desperate to escape the forest. There was another fork. Link took the right this time.

"Link, I'm scared." Zelda whispered "When are we going to get out of here?"  
"I don't know…" Link said. Link saw another fork in the road and took a left. The train was definitely going faster; it was going at least five times as fast as it did on its highest setting. Link didn't know why it would do this. Link saw a fourth fork ahead pretty quickly. He also noticed another dead tree, like the first it seemed to be pointing in the direction, to his left. Link went to his left and, to his delight, saw light. "Zelda, we made it!" Link cheered. Zelda gave a squeal of delight, but their happiness was short lived. They saw that they were back at the entrance.

"What happened? Why are we back at the entrance? What should we do?" Zelda asked. Link sighed.

"Maybe someone knows about the forest?" Link suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Zelda said "Try Whittleton, they live close by and know a lot about trees and stuff." Link nodded and set a course to Whittleton. While he was annoyed, Link was glad that they were out of the forest. The trip was short and eventless, except when Link arrived at the station and slammed the emergency breaks which caught Zelda off guard. There was no harm of course, as she was a spirit. Link climbed off the train as though nothing happened and walked to the village. Whittleton had many trees and several leaves all over the place. There were three wooden houses all around and the whole place looked very green. There was also a wigwam that housed a shop.

"We made it in one piece, Link!" Zelda said wondering if Link would explain why he used the emergency break. Link didn't, and Zelda dearly hoped she had not given the engineer certificate to a reckless driver. Zelda sighed and continued "Look at all the trees in this village…I bet it's crawling with bugs here!"  
"Maybe…I hope not." Link said muttering the last part. Zelda only heard the "maybe". EW! I can't stand bugs! You'll have to go on without me. I'll wait for you here, Link." Zelda said. Then suddenly she looked all around her and at Link again "Just me and the bugs…" she seemed to be reconsidering "…On second thought, I think I'll come with you." Link laughed a bit and made a bee line to the chief's house, you could tell because it was the biggest. Link decided not to tell Zelda he hated bugs. Particularly bees and spiders. He enjoyed her company even if she was a little immature sometimes. They entered the house. The village chief was a dark skinned man with a lot of grey hair and beard. He was very burly and had a large nose.

"Howdy, I'm the chief of this here village." The chief said.

"Hi, I'm Link." Link said

"Word is you brought back part of the lost Spirit Tracks. We were in a real bind here, so we're much obliged to you, young fellow."

"That's great because I have a small favor to ask." Link said

"Which is?"  
"I went into the forest and ended up back at the beginning; know anything that could help me out?"

"What? You went into the forest?" The chief asked. Link nodded. "Heh heh, it's not called the Lost Woods for nothing! If you take the wrong route, you end up back outside. But once you make it through, you'll find the forest's guardian, Gage." Link smiled, that was exactly what he had been hoping for. "Ask the villagers about the forest. They're the ones who know it best."

"Thank you." Link said as he walked out.

Link headed outside and walked to the house on his left. Inside was a skinny teenager who was dressed pretty nicely in red and wore a green bandana on his head.

"Excuse me." Link said "Sorry for barging in, but the chief said you villagers were the people to turn to for help with the Lost Woods."

"You're going in the Lost Woods? Then here's a little advice for you. To avoid getting all turned around, listen to the trees, 'cause they talk a lot."  
"What?"

"Just don't listen to that fourth tree. It has no sense of direction."

"Um…thanks."  
"No problem." The teenage boy said as Link left. Link headed over the general store before he left.

"Um, welcome? This is the forest's general store." The shop keeper said "We have a lot of items, so, uh, please feel free to take a look. Um…if you see something you want, please buy it." The shop keeper looked like an Indian, his skin was the same type of color and he wore his hair in the same way you'd expect. He was a bit chubby and had a very large nose. Link bought a shield for eighty rupees and a glass of milk with a picture of a cow and horse. It was captioned _Lon Lon farms, serving milk since 1646, 343 years! _And some bread. The food only cost twelve rupees. "Thanks so much. Can I help you with anything else?" The shopkeeper asked.

"I'm fine." Link said leaving the wigwam.

"Come back, uh, anytime!" the shopkeeper said. Link headed over to the train.

"Shall we get going?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah…" Link said, not feeling very confident about the advice he was given. What had that kid been talking about?

"OK, let's go!" Zelda said. Link nodded and started up the train. Link turned the lever up to go fast and headed to the woods once more. Link was prepared this time but the woods were still creepy. "Remember what the villager told us…" Zelda whispered as they came across a tree and fork. It was one of those dead trees. Link now knew what the villager had meant, the tree must have been pointing a direction for him, and it seemed to look like it was intentionally doing it, as though it were alive. Yet Link couldn't help but think it had been pointing the other way last time. Was the forest changing? Link turned right at the fork and continued going. Once again the train began going faster. After turning a corner Link saw another tree pointing to the right, the path looked exactly the same and Link once again had the chilling feeling the forest was all the same and never ending. Link went right once more. Link turned two corners and gasped, he could have sworn he say a spider the size of a large dog in the forest. Link gave a sigh of relief when he passed it and he saw the next tree was pointing left. Link saw another tree directly after the fork also pointing left. Link turned to the left confidently, and then suddenly slammed it to the right when he realized this was the tricky fourth tree the villager had warned him about. Link saw light once again and hoped beyond hope that he was right this time.

To Link's relief he saw that he was in a new area and what was clearly the Forest Sanctuary was in view. Link stopped the train and hopped off. Zelda let out a sigh. It sounded as though she had been holding her breath the entire time.

"We finally made it out of there!" Zelda said "That forest was so creepy; I thought a ghost might pop out. Scary!" It was a mark of how scary the forest had been that Link didn't laugh at the irony of this. "Anjean says that a Lokomo by the name of Gage lives here. Let's go find him." Link nodded and they set off.

On his way, Link fell down as a spinut attacked him from behind

"Why you little…" Link grumbled and slashed at it with his sword. He killed another one nearby as well. Link killed two more spinuts as he continued north. Link saw that stairs had been built on the cliff. Link climbed these and killed another spinut on the cliff. "Boy this place sure has a lot of those…" Link passed by two bomb flowers on his way to a bridge. On the end of the bridge was a switch. Link attacked it and a ticking noise filled the area, as another portion of bridge appeared. Link crossed it with a few seconds to spare. To Link's disappointment there were several cracked blocks keeping him from moving on. He knew he would have to go back and use the bombs he saw from earlier. Link jumped off the cliff and headed back up the stairs to the bombs. Link hit the switch and backtracked to the bombs and went to the bridge. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough and the bridge disappeared while he was still crossing it.

"Throw the bomb!" Zelda cried for it was ticking quickly and loudly. Link did as she said, and not a moment too soon. It blew up in the air just inches from Link. Link sighed and walked back to the bomb flowers. He stood thinking for awhile when he suddenly got an idea. Link picked up another bomb flower and placed it near the switch. Link quickly ran to get the other one and no sooner had he made it back to the switch when the nearby bomb exploded. The bridge extended itself again and Link threw the remaning bomb at the cracked wall.

"Great thinking, Link." Zelda complimented.

"Thanks." Link said as he walked past the destroyed wall. Link heard a noise and suddenly stopped. Link stood still and listened, he heard it again. "Do you hear that, Zelda?" Link asked.

"Yeah…I think it's coming from that strange statue." Zelda said pointing to a strangely shaped statue. They did no recognize it, but you would have. It was the shape of a rocket ship. Link instinctively took out the flute and listened to the strange music that came from the rocket ship stone. Link blew on the flute a bit, testing it out. "What are you doing?" Zelda asked

"Trying to copy the notes of the statue…shhh…" Link said.

"Why are—err..why are you doing that?" Zelda said catching herself and whispered.

"This flute is supposed to help us right? This can't be here for nothing…at least I doubt it." Zelda didn't argue with this and let Link listen. Link tried once again to play the music but failed

"You're blowing too soft and moving it too slow." Zelda said "This is supposed to be a fast song…sorry if I'm being annoying." Zelda added apologetically.

"You're not being annoying…but this flute is." Link said

"You just need a little practice….hey you're getting it!" Zelda exclaimed, and Link was. One try later he copied the sounds of the statue perfectly. The song sounded very nice in Zelda's opinion. Suddenly the rocket rock blasted off and left behind a new strange stone which opened an eye. Link and Zelda heard a voice come from the stone.

"Yaaaaawn! That was a nice nap!" Link and Zelda stared at the stone in shock. "That song just now…was it you who played it?"  
"Yes…" Link said slowly, wondering if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Then I'll give you this valuable piece of information. Listen well. The song you just played is called the Song of Awakening. Guys like me are scattered all over the place. If you play that song, we'll tell you valuable information…and that's it. See you!" With that the statue closed its eye and didn't speak again. Link kept that in mind and continued onward. There were more statues here, but these were statues of faces. They all looked the same. There were also some ChuChus here. Link disposed of these and looked ahead. There was a sealed door which lead, Link was sure, to Gage. Link looked around and saw a small pillar in between the statues which an old paper tacked on to it, the paper had eight dots on it all in a circle with a line on top, on the bottom was a message. On the walls ledge was a quill. Link read a message on the paper. _Connect the two stone statues that face each other. _  
"That doesn't sound too hard." Zelda said "Why look, I can see them now, can't you? No, those two!" Zelda pointed between them. Link nodded and drew a line between two the top left dot and the bottom middle dot. Link wondered if he was supposed to do that, when suddenly the ink disappeared from the paper and a rumbling sound came. The door had opened.

"Thanks, Zelda." Link said gratefully entering the door. The inside was very leafy and had many trees. Sitting in a wheeled chair very similar to Anjean's in the middle of an altar was a man who could be none other than Gage the Lokomo. Like Anjean, Gage was short and had pointed ears and nose. He had a green afro and thin green eyebrows. He looked younger than Anjean and wore green and tan robes with a similar style to Anjeans.

"Are you Gage? Gage of the Lokomo?" Zelda asked

"Why yes! I'm Gage!" Gage said seeming excited to see the pair.

"Oh! He seems quite a bit more informal than Anjean, doesn't he?" Zelda asked turning to Link.

"What was that now? If you've got something to say, I'd like to hear it!" Gage said.

"Oh I'm sorry! I meant no offense!" Zelda said apologetically. "Actually, Anjean sent us to speak with you."

"Oh, yes, of course! You're the youngsters with that wonderful flute!" Gage said giving Link and Zelda a smile. "And you're here to restore the Spirit Tracks to the Forest Temple, yes?"

"Um…I mean yes! Yes, of course!" Zelda said glancing at Link. She wished he would represent them more and speak, he wasn't saying anything at all. Unfortunately for Zelda this was common for Link to do. "We need to recharge the Tower of Spirits with the energy of the forest." Zelda continued.

"Yes, that rail map of yours can't do it alone. You need more Spirit Tracks! Well there is a way! Would you like to hear it?"  
"Sure." Link said speaking for the first time.

"To restore the tracks that disappeared, you need to know a special song," Gage said. Zelda and Link glanced at each other, both wondering if they had already learned it at the statue. This, however, wasn't the case. "This Lokomo Song is a duet that requires two sacred instruments. My cello and your Spirit Flute should do the trick! With both instruments playing the song…we can restore the rail map's energy! So? Shall we try?"

"Well...OK…" Link said not feeling very confident.

"Best of luck to you, Link." Zelda said "I should be the one playing the Spirit Flute, but I can't do it in this state." She added apologetically. "I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job though!"  
"Thanks…" Link muttered taking out the flute.

"So, shall we play the song?" Gage asked

"Let's!" Link said with more confidence than he had.

"All right! Let's practice a bit before we launch into the real thing. This song has two parts, each of which is played by a different instrument. For now, just follow my lead." Link nodded. Gage pulled out his cello and played a three note piece for Link. "That's all. Just do as I did when it's your time to play. For now, practice playing your part." Link nodded and blew into the flute. "Good job, very good considering this must be your first time. Keep practicing and when I think you're ready we can begin." Link nodded once more and continued playing. Every now and then Gage would play the part once more and Zelda would give him advice such as

"That's off rhythm." Or "You're blowing too hard!" when Link finally mastered it, Zelda gave him a small round of applause and Gage said

"In the real performance, you'll play that part after I play my part. It goes me, you, me, you, in that order. And don't mess up the timing, you hear? So are you ready for the real thing?"  
"Yes!" Link said with much more confidence.

"Don't let my part confuse you, we will have one practice first, which will be slower, then we start the real thing." Link nodded and placed the rail map between them and put the flute to his lips. Gage started slowly with his part and when he was done he indicated with his eyes that it was Link's turn to play. Link played his simple three note piece. Unlike Link, Gage's part changed a bit each time. Link just repeated his part until the duet was done. Gage nodded to indicate that they would do the real thing now. Link closed his eyes and began to play with Gage. This duet was much faster and in Zelda's opinion more beautiful. She stood between the two and listened to their music with her eyes closed, feeling peaceful. The rail map glowed and Link picked it up. Once again they saw a bird's eye view of the tracks reappearing, leading to the temple. Zelda gave Link and Gage a round of applause, to which Link blushed a bit.

"Wonderful, wonderful! The tracks to the Forest Temple have been restored!" Gage cried.

"You're a natural at that, Link! And you sounded really good too! Now, let's head to the Forest Temple!" Zelda said. Link looked down at the floor sheepishly, he felt he was getting more praise than he deserved. "Thank you so much, Gage." Zelda said gratefully.

"Good luck! And be careful—the Forest Temple can be very dangerous!" Link gulped gave a shaky nod and headed back to the train.

"The tracks to the Forest Temple have been restored. Let's go!" Zelda said as Link climbed aboard. Link gave a nod and they set off.

Umm ok just to shoot down some ideas people might have. I got a review recently that thanked me for being a daily updater and not someone who waits for three months. I want to tell you right now, I can't promise to update daily. People who read my last fanfiction know that there were some times when it took me more than a day to get the next chapter up. Of course I took nowhere near three months, in fact I don't think I ever took a week. But I just don't want to set myself up for any promises I may not be able to keep. For all I know I could take three months to update. I haven't done that for awhile. Last time I took that long was on my old fanfiction account and I was younger back then. I highly doubt it will happen, but for all I know it could. Just warning you so in case I do fail to update daily you aren't too disappointed. Thanks for understanding and for the reviews.


	7. Forest Temple

Link cranked up the speed of his train and headed into another forest.

"I hope this one isn't as creepy as the Lost Woods." Zelda said thinking aloud. Zelda got half her wish on this. The next forest didn't seem remotely creepy to her, in fact it looked rather beautiful. However, part way through, a spider hanging from a strand of web lowered itself in front of the tracks and Zelda screamed. Link nearly slammed into reverse out of fear but instead pulled the whistle, hoping it would scare the spider. It didn't look like it did and Link was getting nervous when suddenly the spider swung on its web out of the way.

"Wh-what was that?" Link asked, not able to keep the fear out of his voice.

"A skulltula." Zelda moaned "Teacher told me about them when I was a little girl…but I thought he was just trying to scare me for a joke…"

"I don't want to see another one…"

"Me either!" Zelda said, but this didn't happen. No sooner had Zelda said this when another skulltula came down. Thankfully Link managed to scare this one away too. "I hate this forest…" Zelda mumbled. Luckily the forest was smaller than the Lost Woods and only one more spider stood between them and the light ahead that marked the end of the forest. Link scared this spider away like all the others and they were out. They were now on the temple grounds.

"Woah, that temple is huge!" Zelda exclaimed pointing at it. The Spirit Train entered the temple and Link used the emergency breaks to stop again which made Zelda more and more nervous. She felt like telling Link that he ought to stop properly, but decided against it. After all, Link was doing everything he could to help her at no personal gain. Link jumped off the train and look around at the temple lobby. "So this is the Forest Temple…" Zelda said "Are you ready for what's to come, Link?" Link laughed a bit at this.

"Well let's see…I'm fourteen. Today was the first day I ever touched a sword, and I wasn't expecting any of this to happen…no I'm definitely not ready, but I'm sure I'll make it look like I am." Zelda couldn't help but laugh at this statement. Link smiled at her and walked in the door leading to the actual temple. The first thing they saw was a small hallway with a door like the one they saw in the caves, it needed a key. Link ignored this and went to his right where he saw a ledge with a switch on the other side. "Reckon I can make that jump?" Link asked.

"Please don't…" Zelda said

"You have any ideas then?"  
"Well…" Zelda looked around frantically "Oh! See that nut!" Zelda pointed to two large nuts growing next to each other. They were about half the size of Link.

"You want me to throw it?" Link asked

"It's worth a try." Zelda said. Link nodded, even though he doubted he could pick these up, let alone throw them far. Yet to his surprise the nut was very light, it was like styrofoam. Link chucked this at the switch and to his relief it worked. A bridge extended for Link to cross. Link headed across the bridge and went to his left. There was a lot of purple smoke here. "Don't! I think that's poison!" Zelda warned as Link approached. Link backed off at the word poison and went the opposite direction. A door soon slammed shut behind him and three spinuts appeared, one of these had a unique green color. Link almost casually defeated the first two. When Link struck at the third one, however, it merely flinched and bowled him over.

"What the—oof!" Link grunted as he fell to the floor. Link rolled to his right as the green spinut tried to jump on him. Link got up and slashed the spinut again, this time though he immediately jumped to the side and slashed once more before the spinut could attack. The spinut rolled to the floor, dead.

"Are you OK, Link?" Zelda asked.

"Fine." Link said straightening himself up as both doors on either side opened up for him. "Just a little caught of guard." Link added as he walked over to the newly open door. The next room had purple poison patches all over the places. Link casually avoided these and spoke to Zelda again. "By the way, I've been wanting to know, why did you pick me to help you escape the castle?"  
"Are you mad?" Zelda asked

"No, no, just curious."  
"Well…it was really more because of Alonzo than you…" Zelda said hoping she didn't upset Link. Link didn't comment on this so Zelda continued. "You see I knew I needed an engineer. The only chance I would get to see one is at a ceremony. When I was signing your papers for your graduation, two things stuck out. One was that you were pretty young, one of the youngest engineers in Hyrule, and the other was that Alfonzo was your mentor."

"I see….go on."  
"Well, I know Alfonzo. He and his family have been loyal to mine for centuries, and I figured if he was your teacher you would be loyal too. It's just that I needed someone who wouldn't turn me in to Cole and get me and trouble, and you seemed most likely not to…" Zelda stopped when another door closed behind Link and several spider creatures appeared. These weren't at all like the skulltulas, they were a browner color and moved very fast. Once charged at Link, who smashed its face in with his shield before attacking it with his sword. Link rounded on the others. Each time he defeated one, it exploded and turned into a small patch of poisonous smoke. When they were all defeated the door opened and a chest appeared.

"Continue." Link said as if they had been no interruption.

"Well anyway I figured I would see what you were like, and you seemed like a nice kid…so I chose you." Zelda said as Link opened the chest and pulled out a strange item. It looked like a combination of a megaphone and a fan, it was made of a beehive and three leaves. "You're sure you're not upset I chose you, are you, Link?" Zelda asked worriedly.

"Nah, this is much more fun than I'm used to…even if I'm risking my life. Anyway I'm glad I met you, Zelda." Link said giving her a smile.

"Thanks…" Zelda said gratefully in almost a whisper. She was loving Link's confidence and was glad she had chosen him. In truth though, Link wasn't as confident as he appeared to be. He was having fun on his adventure, but it was scary and he didn't like the pain involved. He had only said that to impress Zelda.

"So what do you reckon this is?" Link asked turning the item over in his hands.

"I think you put your mouth on it." Zelda suggested pointing to the hole. Link held it up to his mouth and breathed a bit. A gust of wind rushed and blew Zelda's hair back a bit.

"WOAH!" Link exclaimed in amazement. Link turned it away from Zelda and actually blew in it. A mini tornado came on this time and blew the poison away. "Now THIS was worth coming for!" Link said

"But it's not why we're here." Zelda reminded him.

"I know." Link agreed pocketing the item and looking toward a small windmill in the center of the room. Link quickly took out the item again and blew. The tornado caught the windmill and made a door open. "Hmmm…I think I will call this Whirlwind." Link said as he headed over to this new room. Link blew some poison gas away from a staircase and climbed down. In this room on a pedestal in the middle of a long cliff rested a small key. Link pulled out the whirlwind.

"Oh, Link…be careful." Zelda said "That would be awful if the key fell down and we had done all of this for nothing…" Link gulped, he hadn't thought of that. Link gathered all the breath he could and blew at the key. It flew several feet away and stopped when it hit a wall on the other side. Link smiled in relief and rushed to get the key. On the other side of the room was a floor switch which Link stepped on, it opened another door which led back to the room they first entered when they left the temple train station. One difference was those spider-like creatures were near the bridge now. Link easily got rid of these and crossed the bridge again. Link blew tornados at the massive field of poison they saw before. It revealed a small box with something attached to a string on it.

"You know what this is for?" Link asked

"Oh, that's a stamp station, Link." Zelda said "Teacher loves these things…but we don't have a stamp book so it's useless to us." Link sighed and backtracked to the bridge again, this time crossing to the other side. Link went to the locked door they saw earlier and put the key to use on it. The door opened and Link went inside the pathway behind it. Link headed left, and left again. When Link made it to a square section of the room and the door closed behind him, he smirked a bit. Link had a feeling that would happen by now. Two floating skulls appeared, they were covered in that purple poison fog. Link blew tornados at them which, for the most part, they dodged. Eventually Link got one and it was blow off course, Link slashed it in half with his sword and paid attention to the other one. When both were destroyed a new door opened for Link. When Link entered the next room he headed to his right and after killing some more spiders he saw a very large ledge, across from which was more poison. Near this was another locked door.

"Don't worry; I'm not even thinking of jumping that one." Link said in response to Zelda's worried face. Link headed back to his left and then headed right. There was a staircase here, Link took it. Link saw a ledge and switch similar looking to the he saw back at bridge, one of the purple orbs, there was even one of those nuts from earlier. Link picked it up and threw it. Unfortunately it didn't make it anywhere close to the switch. "Phew…I need to work out more." Link said.

"But what will we do now?" Zelda asked. Link thought about this for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. Link pulled out the whirlwind and directed it to a nut. Link blew and the tornado carried the nut to the switch which turned green. A chest appeared and Link opened it, inside was a key. Link took this and headed back to the door from earlier, once it opened and Link went inside it closed shut once again. The door on the other side was closed too. Before them appeared a new creature. It looked like a furry black and purple moth, except it was as huge as Link and had green antennas. It also had one large yellow eye and some strange purple mist seemed to hang from it. It flapped its wings threateningly at Link who stood his ground.

"Good luck…" Zelda said, for she could feel this was stronger than their ordinary monster. The moth creature began circling Link. Link leapt at it with his sword but to his surprise saw it disappear in a shroud of purple mist. It reappeared on Link's other side in another shroud of mist and charged at him. Link tried to slam his shield into it but it disappeared again. It reappeared and began circling Link once more.

"Grr…oh wait!" Link cried taking out the whirlwind. Link blew at the creature but it only swatted its wings and the tornado rebounded back at Link who couldn't escape in time. Link smashed against the wall and the creature charged at him again, getting him perfectly in the stomach.

"Link!" Zelda cried. Link grunted and got back up. Just in time too for the moth creature formed some sort of spell and a skull materialized in the air and was sent at Link who just barely dodged. The creature sent another skull which Link blocked with his shield. Link suddenly had an inspirational idea. Link put up his whirlwind and aimed at the creature. When a new skull formed, Link blew. The tornado carried the skull back at the moth. The moth bat its wings expectantly but to its surprise found it couldn't redirect the tornado anymore, now that a skull was in it and it was more than wind, and was hit. Link took its moment of flinching to slash at it with his sword. The creature was hit and wounded but disappeared immediately after. Luckily for Link, it didn't seem to be very smart. It fell for the same trick again, in the exact same way. When Link slashed at it this time, it did not disappear. It fell to floor, dead. "That was brilliant, Link!" Zelda said as Link headed through the now open door.

"Thanks." Link said with a smile. The next room contained many pillars. Link moved to his right and saw a closed door. Link sighed and headed south of the pillars.

"Um…Link…" Zelda said suddenly

"Hmm?"  
"_Y-you_ don't think I look hideous do you? As a spirit I mean." It took Link a few moments to figure out what was bothering her. Then Link remembered the comment Anjean gave her.

"No, you're not hideous at all, Zelda."  
"Really?" Zelda asked looking doubtful.

"You look beautiful to me…" Link said without thinking. Zelda was grateful to be a spirit now, for normally she would have blushed at this. Link however did blush, he looked as red as a beet. Luckily there was something to distract them

"Urgh! What is that!" Zelda asked. Link looked at what Zelda was pointing at saw to his horror a two foot long blue slug. It had spikes and Link had a feeling it was a monster. Link slashed at it and it swelled into a ball. Link stared at it for a bit and then prodded it with his sword. It blew up with the force of a bomb, knocking Link several feet back. "Wh-what the?" Link cried out.

"It's a bomb…" Zelda whispered, stating the obvious. "Look there's a cracked wall over there!" Zelda said pointing "And there are more of them…" sure enough there were. Three of these bomb slugs were present. Link shuddered. Link approached one and slashed at it with his sword. Link showed signs of bracing himself to do something he didn't want to do, and that was picking up the slug and putting it near the wall. "Don't touch it! Remember it explodes at touch!" Zelda said.  
"Woah!" Link said backing off. Link looked at his whirlwind again and back at the slug. Link took out the whirlwind and blew at it, just as it showed signs of getting ready to explode. The slug landed near the wall and destroyed it.

"Wow, that items pretty nifty isn't it?" Zelda said as Link headed where the wall once was. Link gave her a nod and examined this next part of the room. There was a lot of poison fog here too, there was also a large gap. The only bridge across was a small narrow path covered in the poison. Link began blowing the poison away and came to a fork. Link blew off both sides and took the right; there was a floor switch here, which Link stepped on. Link saw a chest suddenly appeared on the other side of the left fork. Link headed over here and opened it. Inside was a pearl necklace. Zelda gave a gasp "It's beautiful!"

"I'm not into jewelry, you can have it." Link offered.

"That's sweet of you, but I can't. You earned it, Link. You could sell that for a lot of rupees. Anyway I'm rich enough as it is."

"If you say so…" Link said, doubtful he would persuade the princess otherwise. Link looked around and saw a crystal switch. It turned green at his touch and Link heard some distant rumbling. Link headed back to where he found the slug and saw that a door had opened, leading him to an area with more slugs. Across another ledge was a cracked wall. Link knew what to do. Link attacked the slugs and blew them all to the wall. It cracked revealing a switch. Link slayed another slug and blew it on this. More rumbling filled their ears, and Link was sure the door he had first seen was now open. As Link headed this way he passed a large golden block with a decorative red eye on it. Zelda floated to it and looked above it, being above to see higher than Link.

"Look at that keyhole, Link! I think you'll need a special key to unlock it." To Link's surprise the answer came almost immediately. Inside the door Link had just opened was a small stairway with a golden key placed here. They block must have been the key for it also had the decorative eye. "That big key looks like it will open the door in the center of the room. Let's take it over there!" Zelda said. Link nodded and was about to pick it up when he noticed something on the back of the wall. It was a picture with dots, and skulls on it, it also had a shrewd picture of a door on it and a long arrow that went this way and that. Link had no clue what it was, Zelda however had a clever idea "It looks like a map of this room."  
"That's an idea…"

"What are these skulls? And what does the arrow mean?"

"I don't want to know what those skulls mean…" Link said leaving the room without the key and examining the area they were in.

"What are you doing?" Zelda asked

"Making sure you're right…" Link said taking note of the pillars on a piece of paper he produced from his bag. Link headed back to the key room and copied the map. Link then hoisted up the key and followed the directions. To their relief nothing happened. When Link reached the door, he set the key down and rubbed his chin. "How do I get this in?" Link wondered out loud.

"Perhaps throwing it?" Zelda suggested.

"I doubt I will get it in perfectly…" Link said but nevertheless gave it a try. To his surprise the key floated in midair when he threw it and went into the lock as if it was magnetically attracted to it. The eye glowed for a moment and the block lowered. Link stepped into the staircase behind it. There were several stair cases here. Before the last one there was a stone which read _Step into the blue light to return to the temple entrance._ "What blue li—?" Link stopped, there was a blue light that looked just like the one Anjean conjured and Link was sure it wasn't there before he read the sign. "I think we're almost at our destination." Link said. For some reason this caused Zelda to laugh like crazy. "What is it?" Link asked

"I j-just realized…we have no clue what we're doing!" Zelda said through her laughter.

"What do you mean?"

"All Anjean and Gage told us to do was come here and restore the Spirit Tracks…they never said how!" Link stood still for a moment and then laughed with her.

"So basically I have been running around aimlessly exploring and putting my life in danger for nothing?" Link wasn't angry; the idea was pretty funny to him.

"Well…yes I think so! Although I think we will have a clue pretty soon. Both smiling and feeling pretty cheerful the two headed up these stairs and ended up at the top of the temple. There were many trees here…but no…it was one tree. It was so huge though, that it looked like they were in a forest. The staircase suddenly sealed itself. Link gulped feeling the cheeriness leave him. Being closed in was never a good sign. So far it had always meant there was a monster nearby. And so there was. Flying from the opening came a huge beetle. It was around twice the size of an elephant and landed with a great THUMP on the ground. It had tan armor a great big horn. Its rear was sticking out of the armor and was purple. Link gulped, his sword felt like a stick when compared to this creature. "Link, run!" Zelda cried. Unfortunately Link couldn't run. He had nowhere to go. The beetle leered at him with its stupid, angry, green eyes. The creature then roared and swiped at Link with one of its many legs. Link dodged it and swiped at the beast. The sword had no effect and the creature managed to get him this time. Link instinctively ran toward its back. The creature tried to keep up but after awhile tried to strike him with its horn. It lost sight when it did this and Link slashed at its rear…or at least he tried to. Link pulled his hand back and gave a yelp; the purple poison he had seen so many times in the temple seemed to be coming from this monster. It didn't act like poison, but like acid, burning Link in the place that got affected by the gas. "Link, remember the whirlwind!" Zelda yelled. Link slapped himself in the forehead. How had he been so foolish to forget? Unfortunately the monster was facing him and chasing him again. Once it lost sight, Link blew a tornado at its butt and stabbed multiple times. The creature gave a roar of pain and faced Link again. Like the moth, this creature was strong but stupid. It fell for the same trick, not once, but twice, before changing strategy. The beetle rose into the air and turned to face Link, glaring at him; it sent three of the bomb slugs from its mouth to attack. Link slayed each of these with ease. The beetle then charged at him, Link tried to blow a tornado while the beetle passed but he was too fast. He couldn't just slash him either or he would get hurt by the poison. Link thought for a moment when an idea occurred to him. When the creature sent out more slugs Link slayed them all once more and aimed at one of them with his whirlwind. When the creature charged, Link blew and the slug flew into the beetles face. The beetle crashed and Link began attacking its rear once more. The creature tried the same tactic once more but Link was prepared and once again brought it down with its own slug. After a couple more slashes the creature gave a roar of pain and fell to the ground. Its legs twitched and it turned gray…suddenly it exploded. A green triangle rose from where the beetle once was. Link and Zelda were sure that this is what they had come for. They stood side by side as a large pedestal with a gear at the bottom rose from the ground and the green triangle placed itself on it. The gear turned and a white light flashed. The couple shielded their eyes for a moment. Then both gasped as the triangle flashed a very bright green, so bright it could be seen from the outside. Link hastily took out the rail map and saw blue energy transfer from the temple to the tower via the Spirit Tracks. A piece of the tower reconnected itself, and a small portion of new Spirit Tracks appeared. They had done it; the Forest Temple had its energy back. "Good job, Link!" Zelda said happily almost giving him a hug. A new blue portal appeared as Zelda said this. Look, Link! We can return to the temples entrance from here. Let's go back!" Link nodded and wiped some sweat from his forehead. The blue light took him back to his train. Link took a swig from the milk he had bought back at Whittleton and boarded the train. The milk was different than what we're used it. In this world it has a lot of flavor. Link sighed in content and started the train, heading back to the Tower of Spirits.

Phew…ok tell me what you think of my first dungeon chapter. Also tell me if you see some very strange (and more) typing errors. I was tired as heck (rated T, won't say more) and I'm a little loopy and I can barely see straight. Therefore I'm likely to make some crazy mistakes….


	8. Dark Train

Link pulled the lever on fast as always and they set off. Link looked at the rail map and saw that other trains had come back on the tracks. Link sighed at this.

"What is it, Link?" Zelda asked, noticing this.

"Looks, like I've got competition again." Link said. Zelda eyed the map and saw what Link was looking at

"Oh…well it's a good thing you brought the tracks back though! Now people can get on with their business." Zelda said as Link pulled the whistle to scare a skulltula. Neither was quite as afraid anymore after the Forest Temple.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…and anyway this map gives me an advantage." Link said. Zelda knew that he meant that he could see where the other trains were going and didn't need signals anymore. Link pulled the whistle again as he rounded a corner to scare another skulltula

"Say, Link…do you think…now the tracks are back…could you take another route other than the Lost Woods?" Zelda asked. Link laughed a bit and told her he would. "Thank you…this forest is ok, but the Lost Woods creeps me out." Link nodded and scared yet another skulltula and sighed.

"I wish I could get rid of these pesky things."  
"Me too…" Zelda said as Link checked his map again; they were outside the forest now. Zelda gave an audible gasp.

"What is it?"  
"Look at those trains!" Link looked and immediately saw what was wrong. On the map he saw purple fog engulf these trains and suddenly they reappeared as what looked like blue missiles with two holes in the front with flame coming out. They reminded Zelda of angry red eyes. The trains continued as if nothing happened. "Wh-what was THAT?" Zelda cried "I don't know what just happened, but it doesn't look good. Let's just stay away from those trains. I think that would be best." Link nodded and changed direction, but the thing was…it seemed as though the trains were after him. It seemed as though they _wanted_ to hit Link. Luckily Link had an advantage over them with the map. Keeping one eye on the map, and the other on the tracks, Link scared off a moink with the whistle. Despite being in danger Link laughed.

"Those silly things need to learn to get off the tracks…" he did this in hope it would settle Zelda down, she looked nervous. Zelda also laughed but she wasn't distracted

"Be careful, OK?"  
"Don't worry we're almost there, look!" Link said as they passed under another archway and pointed to the Tower of Spirits. Zelda gave a sigh of relief. Link scared off a snurgle and slowed down the train as they approached the tower. Link hopped off the train and approached Anjean who said  
"Thanks to you two, the Forest Temple has been reenergized. And now the Tower of Spirits has plenty of energy too. Thank you."

"What temple should we head for next?" Zelda asked

"The next temple is deep in the mountains and closed off by snowstorms." Anjean responded. "But again, you must first obtain a rail map. Now that the energy from the forest is flowing into the tower again…you can go further up the tower to the level of the next rail map. Obtain it quickly, you two, for you must get to the next temple soon!"

"Got it! You can count on us! All right, let's go get the second rail map, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded and headed to the tower staircase again. "Look, Link! The stairs go up higher than they did when we were here last time." Zelda pointed out. Link climbed the even longer staircase and skipped the first door and entered the second. A wave of heat passed over Link as he entered; there were jets of fire coming from statues on the wall and pools of lava. "Whew, it looks hot in here." Zelda said "Getting into one of those clanky suits of armor is the last thing I want to do….but I'll do it if you think it will help." Zelda added feeling she would do anything for someone as nice as Link. To her surprise Link said

"I don't blame you; it's OK if you don't want to." Zelda stared guiltily at Link and said

"That's nice of you to say, but I can't let you go it alone. I'll do it. I'll just pretend I'm unwinding in a spa sauna."

"Thank you, Zelda, I really appreciate it." Link said. Zelda gave Link a smile as he headed to his right looking around for Tears of Light. Link would occasionally pause to wait for a jet of fire to stop blasting from a statue and saw the first tear. It was on a pillar in the middle of a pool of lava. Link knew what to do and took out the whirlwind; however he put it away quickly when a Phantom came. To Link's horror the Phantom climbed into the lava as though it were water and waded towards them. Link ran to the side and quickly used the whirlwind here before heading right once more. Link spotted a chest and opened it, inside was a necklace. It was made of gold, rubies, and amethyst jewels. It was designed in rows of skulls linking to each other.

"Oooh! That's a Pirate's Necklace; they are only given to pirate leaders. They are pretty rare and worth a lot." Zelda exclaimed. Link nodded and put this in his bag along with the pearl necklace. Link headed to his right, then left and grabbed the tear he blew from the pillar. Link then turned around and once the coast was clear, took another tear which was just sitting nearby.

"Where do you reckon the last one is?" Link asked

"Hmm…you haven't been there, Link." Zelda said pointing. Link gulped, the area Zelda was pointing at was being guarded by one of the fire breathing statues, unlike the others this one never stopped. "You could use a Phantom to protect you." Zelda suggest upon seeing Link's worried face.

"I know you would do it, but I doubt these ones will be so willing."  
"You could trick them, I suppose."  
"Yes…I suppose." Link said. Link hid near the flame but out of sight from the Phantoms. Link made a clinking noise with his sword and one came to investigate immediately. It crossed the fire to check if Link was there; once it did Link darted past and immediately spotted the safe zone containing the Tear of Light. Link rushed here and grabbed it before the Phantom could get him. The sword glowed and Link attacked the Phantom once its back had turned. "Get him, Zelda!" Link said. Zelda nodded and floated into the Phantom. The same changes took place as last time.

"Hey, Look! Now that I'm a Phantom, I can walk through fire and lava. Hee hee hee! I'm like a walking, talking shield, Link!" Zelda exclaimed

"You aren't too hot, are you?" Link asked concerned.

"Actually it's not that bad…I think this armor protects me from feeling too much of the heat."  
"Good…now could you stop those flames for me?" Link asked indicating the jet of flames.

"Sure." Zelda said standing in front of it. She didn't look the least bit uncomfortable. Link and Zelda walked over to the lake of lava separating one half of the room from the other. Zelda walked in casually and turned to Link

"This armor can withstand any heat, so feel free to hitch a ride on my shield! You can jump off the platform to get on."

"Err….are you sure that's OK?" Link asked finding the idea of asking the princess to carry him weird and awkward.

"Of course it's ok, now c'mon!" Zelda said. Link nodded and carefully jumped on Zelda's shield. She walked slowly to the other side of the room and Link jumped off to the floor. They headed up the staircase here. There was another pool of lava here. Zelda got in and Link hitched another ride. There were fiery flying things all over the place, after awhile Link realized that these things were keese…but they were on fire!

"Zelda…look at those…" Link said as Zelda crossed the lava

"Oh yeah… I forgot to mention keese are resistant to any temperature. I suggest you blow them off with the whirlwind so they don't knock you in." Zelda said. Link nodded and pulled the whirlwind out. The keese were fast and hard to hit, but after awhile Link got lucky and soon there were none left. Zelda took Link to a small platform with a chest. "Here you go, Link." Zelda said opening the chest for him. It contained a big rupee worth a hundred rupees.

"Thanks, Zelda." Link said as he blew into a nearby windmill platform. "I think there's another over there, mind carrying me there?"  
"Sure." Zelda said as Link climbed on her back once more. Once a tornado caught the next windmill a door opened. This led to a hall with two paths. One of which was closed off by a locked door. Link headed to the other path and found a room with several walls in it. Here was a spinut with a key tied around his neck. Link knew this was what they were after and charged at the spinut, the spinut however was very fast and Link couldn't catch him.

"Grr…" Link continued chasing until he stopped and looked at Zelda. "We need to work together for this; you focusing on closing him off and I will focus on attacking as I'm faster than you." Zelda nodded and headed the monster off on the other side. The monster desperately tried to escape and Link and Zelda swung at it. Eventually Link got it and it fell to the floor. Link took the key and headed back to the locked door and opened it. There was a small pool of lava blocking them from the staircase. Without being told, Zelda walked into the lava and took Link to the other side. Link jumped off and they walked up the stairs. The next room they were in was large and square, the door on the other side was closed, and as soon as they walked in the door closed behind them. A creature appeared before them, it looked a bit like a fish and a lizard. It had two feet, and was green, yet the green looked like fish scales and its head looked like that of a fish. It was burly looking with a big sword and shield not too much unlike the ones Zelda was wielding now and it had red eyes. It gave a roar at the sight of them.

"Eeeeeek! What is that disgusting monster?" Zelda cried.

"I think it's a geozard…it looks like the creature Alfonzo told me about anyway." Link said.

"Phantoms are terrifying but they're not as revolting as that thing! Let's fight him together, Link!" Link smiled and nodded. The pair began slashing and hacking at the geozard but its size did not in any way diminish its speed. It blocked all their strikes.

"You fight him; I'll go for the rear when he's distracted!" Link yelled. Zelda nodded and sent her big heavy Phantom swings at the creature. The geozard blocked these easily but got hit from behind by Link. The creature gave a roar of fury and jumped several feet away from the two. Zelda went on the offensive again and Link slashed it a few more times. With a final roar the creature fell at their feet. Once it was gone, both door opened.

"We did it!" Zelda said "When we work together, nothing out there can stop us! Right Link?" There was something about this sentence that made Link smile

"Right! You did a great job, Zelda!"

"Thanks, you too, Link." Zelda said. Both feeling very accomplished, the two set off through the newly opened door down a hallway taking a right then left turn. In the next room was a small creature on a strange statue jumping up and down trying to sink the statues spikes into Link. Zelda stood still near a pillar of flame and allowed Link to pass muttering "Miniblin…usually they're pirates." The next area had a perch on it, Zelda stood below and Link climbed on her shield. Using the new height to his advantage, Link blew the miniblin off the statue with the whirlwind. Once it fell and was defenseless, Link leapt off Zelda and slashed at it with his sword. One hit destroyed the miniblin. They continued past the perch, Zelda stopped the flames for Link every now and then. They reach a pillar with a key on it. "I have a feeling we will need this…but you can't get it can you?" Zelda said. They both understood what was needed and backtracked to the perch and Link jumped on Zelda's shield once more. Zelda carried him back to the key, stopping before the middle fire statue which was higher than the others and _could_ get Link. Once it momentarily stopped, Zelda carried Link past it and to the key. Link blew this off with the whirlwind and leapt off of Zelda's shield. Link grabbed it and with Zelda's help went back through the flame statues. The two headed to their right and avoid the miniblins here, they weren't worth killing. Link unlocked the door up ahead and went up another staircase. Once again they were in the rail map room. Zelda gave a sigh of relief and left the Phantom. Link's sword meanwhile lost its light. Link smiled and grabbed the Snow Realm rail map. It glowed and Link saw several new tracks appear. A light came from the Forest Realm map as well, also showing some new tracks. Suddenly the two connected to make one rail map. The blue light appeared once more and Link stepped inside it. He was back at the lobby once more.

"Ah, so you retrieved the second rail map. Then your next task is clear." Anjean said when she saw Link. "You must go to the Snow Realm and restore energy to the tower. Find the Snow Sanctuary where the Lokomo Steem resides and talk to him. He'll help you open the way to the temple."  
"Alright, let's go!" Link said.

"Very well. Be careful!" Anjean warned Link as he climbed on the train. Link nodded and set a course for the next realm.

Short chapter I know…I promise the next one will be three times as long!


	9. Ferrus

It was now sunset as Link put the train on fast and headed far west, however not too far from the tower, two beasts came running on the tracks. They looked like brown, hairy warthogs. But they had red eyes and looked much more sinister. Link blew his whistle but the beasts didn't seem to care. Catching Link of guard, they slammed into the train.

"Hang in there!" Zelda said. Link continued pulling the whistle but it still had no effect. The other beast slammed into the Spirit Train. Link was getting nervous now. Luckily the beasts left after this. "We just keep getting hit!" Zelda cried "If this keeps up, our train is going to explode! Maybe we should go back to Castle Town and see if Alfonzo can help us."

"Oh that's right!" Link said pulling the emergency break as usual and stopping the train at the Hyrule Castle Town station which was nearby. "I forgot I promised to stop here, sorry about that."

"It's OK." Zelda said as Link climbed out of the train. Zelda gave a sigh as they looked around at the familiar scenery. "It's been so long since I've been home…I wonder how Alfonzo and Teacher are…" Link walked to the nearest store and bought a few food supplies and loaded these on the train before heading the castle. Right before the archway though the Postman came to greet him.

"Hey, hey, howdy mister." The Postman said brightly

"Hello." Link said.

"Greetings. I'm here with a letter from Mr. Alfonzo to Link! He told me he recently suffered a nasty injury but is now on the mend! Now where was I…oh yes your letter! Sorry, I'm easily distracted. Here you go!" The Postman said pulling out a letter and giving it to Link. With that the Postman headed off, still making those train imitations. Link took out the letter and read

_Dear Link_

_I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you more. That guy really did a number on me, so I was feeling pretty rough for awhile. Luckily I'm feeling better now. Would you mind coming to get me at the castle and bringing me back to Aboda Village? Thanks!_

_ -Alfonzo_

"Just in time." Link said making his way to the castle again. The guards didn't stop him from entering this time, as he was dressed like a recruit. Link made his way to the room he had first woken up in, hoping Alfonzo was still there. Alfonzo was sitting on his bed, looking tired but no longer injured.

"Ah, Link…so you got my letter, did you?" Alfonzo asked the moment Link entered. "I can finally get around on my own again, but what hurts most is my pride. How could I fail to defend the princess?" Zelda gave a sad sigh; it was obvious Alfonzo also couldn't see her.

"Err…well…actually she's right here. She's in a spirit form and I need to get to Snow Realm to help her get her body back. She seems to miss you…oh she's invisible by the way so you can't see her….and she seems a little surprised I'm telling you this." Link added judging the look of Zelda's face. Alfonzo looked surprised too.

"What's that? The princess' spirit is here with us? And you have to go to Snow Realm to get her body back?" Link nodded at this. "Well, normally I'd say you were crazy. But you seem pretty serious. The thing is, from here on out, there are going to be a lot of monsters. And an ordinary train like yours isn't going to be able to stand up to them…oh I have an idea!" Alfonzo said suddenly "But we need to get back home to Aboda Village first. Use your new train to take me back there. I'll be waiting at the station." Alfonzo said heading out. Zelda winced when she saw that he was limping.

"I can't believe he got himself so beat up for me…" Zelda said quietly.

"Don't worry about it, Zelda." Link said "Knowing Alfonzo he probably liked that more than knowing you had gone missing and knowing he hadn't at least tried something to stop it."  
"I suppose…"

"Anyway do you want to hang around a bit here? Or do you want to go back to my village immediately?" Link asked

"Oh no, I can't hold you up. Let's go back to Aboda Village." Zelda said.

"OK, if you're sure." Link said leaving the room. As Link walked out he spotted Teacher.

"Ahh it's you again…listen, the princess still hasn't returned. It's very troubling…whatever shall I do?" Teacher said when he saw Link.  
"Teacher, I'm right here!" Zelda cried. Link felt a lot of pity for her; he could tell her teacher was important to her. "Oh drat! He can't hear me. Link! Please tell Teacher that he doesn't have to worry about me!"

"Err… 'Teacher'" Link said not knowing what else to call him "Zelda's spirit is here, and she's safe. She doesn't want you to worry, OK? I promise I'll take good care of her."  
"…What was that, young man?" Teacher said putting a hand over his ears worried he had heard wrong. "You mean the princess' spirit is here right now?"

"Yes." Link said, happy Teacher was catching on. Although it seemed he wasn't. Teacher placed a hand to his heart and gasped

"You talk as if she's passed away! How incredibly insensitive of you!"  
"That's not what I—"

"I'm sure she's just wondering somewhere. But if I sent soldiers out looking for her, the kingdom would panic."  
"If you just listen—"

"I suppose I'll just have to go out and find her myself."

"Please, Zelda wouldn't want—doesn't want—"

"Move aside!" Teacher said brushing Link out of the way and heading up the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Zelda…I failed you."  
"No you didn't, you tried your best." Zelda said "Teacher can be a little rash and stubborn sometimes is all. I guess nobody is going to believe us…" Zelda sighed "Come on, let's hurry to get my body back. I have to let Teacher know I'm OK!

Link nodded and headed outside. He headed towards the train station where Alfonzo was waiting.  
"All right. Let's get back to Aboda Village." Alfonzo said as soon as he saw Link.

"Right." Link said as Alfonzo climbed in the passenger car. Zelda gave another sigh

"I miss the castle already. If I'd known this was going to happen, I would've eaten all my favorite foods. Now I don't even have a stomach…" Zelda said sadly "No, no, I can't think about that now. We have to go!" Link nodded and hoped on the train.

"AAAAAAAALL ABOOOOOOARD!" Alfonzo and Zelda yelled in unison. Link laughed as he made a route to Aboda Village. Zelda caught sight of more of those warthog creatures but they weren't heading their direction, thank goodness. Link nearly hit a Dark Train on his way to Aboda Village right as he went under an arch. Luckily the train had chosen the wrong direction too quickly to change its mind. It was getting dark now; the rest of the journey was uneventful except for an animal on the tracks and a snurgle. Keeping in mind that the injured Alfonzo was on board, Link slowly stopped the train this time. When everyone had gotten off the train Alfonzo said

"That is fine looking train, if you don't mind my saying. And the ride was smooth as silk! Can't believe you got such a nice train from the Tower of Spirits…" Alfonzo said a little jealously. "But like I said, I don't think it can handle the dangers you're likely to face! Let me rig something up for you…" Alfonzo said walking off; he stopped halfway though and added "Oh, but it's going to take some time to get it ready. Come back here in awhile. Why don't you go visit ol' Niko while you're waiting? I'm sure he'd be happy to see you." Link nodded and began heading towards his house while Alfonzo began working on the train.

"Who's 'ol Niko'?" Zelda asked as she set off "Is he your grandpa?"  
"No, I don't have a family." Link said.

"Oh…I-I'm sorry…" Zelda said awkwardly. There was silence for a moment, and then Link spoke again

"But yes, he is quite a bit like I would expect a grandfather would be. Old, wise…and a little embarrassing…" Zelda giggled at this. "Thankfully he can't see you; otherwise he would probably go out of his way to humiliate me."

"Oh I'm sure he wouldn't…or at least he wouldn't mean to." Zelda said

"Nah, he may be old, but he's an immature little prankster. I know he would." Link said as they entered his house. When they entered Zelda saw Niko, who was in her opinion the silliest looking old man she had ever seen, and also the most ancient looking.

"Hi there, Link. How was the ceremony?" Niko asked as Link entered.

"It was fine, thanks for asking." Link said, not bothering with the other important details of what happened.

"So you're finally an engineer. Ah, this is a happy day!" Niko said proudly. "Say, why are you dressed as a soldier?" Niko asked eyeing Link's new clothes.

"Long story." Link said

"It's strange…you look just like a friend of mine from when I was a young man." neither Link nor Zelda had difficulty imagining Niko as kid, despite how old he was now, and this wasn't just because there was a picture of a younger Niko on the wall either. "That reminds me of something!" Niko said excitedly. "Since you travel all over the world by train now…would you mind doing a favor for ol' Niko here?"  
"A favor?" Link asked, Niko responded without preamble

"Back in the day, I used to love traveling. I visited so many exotic places. Every place I'd go, there'd be a station where I could get a special stamp. I never did figure out who built those stations….anyway, collecting these stamps was a way to record my travels. I loved those little stamps more than anything! But back then…I didn't have anything with me to stamp them in. It was a sad state of affairs. Which brings me to that favor I was talking about, Link." Niko said getting close to the point. But Link had a shrewd idea what Niko wanted him to do, already. Would you use this stamp book to collect those stamps for me? Here it is!" Niko said without waiting for Link to respond. "Please collect a whole mess of stamps for me. If you get a lot, I'll give you something special."  
"Very well, I will go look for stamps for you." Link said "But I'm pretty busy so it may be awhile, I'm sorry."

"As long as you get them before my funeral then I'm fine." Niko said.

"I wouldn't promise him that…" Zelda muttered eyeing Niko's wrinkles and white hair. "Oh, sorry!" Zelda added but Link laughed at this.

"Eh, what are you laughing at?" Niko asked.

"Oh nothing." Link said. "I'll just go check on Alfonzo now and see if he's done with my train yet." Niko nodded and waved goodbye as Link left. Link saw on his way to the station a stamp station. Link eyed it and opened the stamp book. To his surprise Niko hadn't even bother putting this one here. Zelda noticed this too for she said

"I wonder why Niko never even bothered with it…" Link turned the pages to make sure, and when he couldn't find one stamp he pressed the stamp on one of the pages. It showed a picture of a tropical beach with a boat and in the background and the date 4/23/1989. Link headed to Alfonzo's garage. Unfortunately Alfonzo wasn't done.

"Sorry Link, but it's going to take some hours to finish this." Alfonzo said. Link sighed and nodded

"Now what should I do?" he asked Zelda. Zelda gave him a strange expression and said

"I think you should go to bed…"  
"Huh?"  
"I don't want to be rude Link…but you look terrible." Zelda said. Link looked at his reflection in the water and saw that she was right. He had shadows underneath his eyes and his messy hair was even messier than usual. Now that he thought about it…he was pretty tired.

"Hmmm…I guess your right." Link said heading back to his house and lying on his bed.

"Back already?" Niko asked

"Just taking a nap, I haven't slept in a day." Link said curling up on his bed. Zelda sat down on Niko's and watched him sleep. She had to admit he looked pretty cute curled up like a dog and lightly snoring, making his hair flutter a little bit. After awhile Zelda grew bored of watching Link and felt somewhat tired herself. Just when she was wondering if a ghost could be unconscious, she fell asleep.

Link and Zelda must have awoken at the same time for Zelda saw Link yawning and stretching just as she opened her eyes. Link gave her a little wave and headed outside. Zelda saw that she had fallen asleep; sitting on Niko's bed, Niko himself was curled a few feet from her. Zelda followed Link outside and saw him getting his hair wet in the ocean. It was morning now. Link headed back over to the train station; apparently he got there with perfect timing for Alfonzo called out

"Hey, Link!" Alfonzo's garage opened up and out came Link's train. "Oh, you got here just in time. Check this out, Link!" There was something new about the train; it took awhile for Zelda to realize Alfonzo had installed a cannon on it. "It's a cannon for your train! With this baby, you can smash through boulders! You can even knock out any baddies than get in your way!" Alfonzo said proudly

"Thanks, Alfonzo." Link said gratefully "This will be a big help!"

"Now that you've got this, you should head out to the Snow Realm. You've got to help out the princess. We're counting on your, Link!" Link nodded and turned to Zelda who said

"This cannon is just what we need! Now we can head to the Snow Realm! Let's go, Link!" Link nodded at this and added to Alfonzo

"Zelda says 'thank you'." Zelda smiled and gave a loud

"Aaaaaaaall aboooooard!" as Link jumped on the train and made another route to the Snow Realm.

"Hmmm…I wonder how I use this." Link wondered aloud guessing he should have asked Alfonzo when he was still in Aboda.

"Oh look! Alfonzo left us instructions for the cannon!" Zelda said peering over a paper stuck to the passenger car. " 'To fire cannon calm down and focus on what you want to hit…grab the lever and rotate it to rotate cannon. Press button to fire at your target. Your pal, Alfonzo.' …that's the end of it. Shall I read it again?"

"I'm good." Link said

"Let's try it out, now!" Zelda said. Link nodded and aimed the cannon at a boulder and shot. The boulder was no more than dust now. "That's amazing!" Zelda cried. Link tried the cannon on almost everything on their way to the Snow Realm. The only things he didn't get were an animal on the tracks and some signs. To their horror the Dark Trains weren't affected by the cannon, they were only slowed down a bit. However it did destroy the snurgles that attacked and the forest spiders with ease.

"Look out, Link! Brakes! Hit the BRAKES!" Zelda cried. Link gasped and pulled on the reverse switch. Link had been so distracted with a conversation he had been having with Zelda that he had nearly ran into a boulder. Link fired cannon balls at this blockage and continued onward.

"Phew…sorry about that Zelda." Link said

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have distracted you." Zelda said "Anyway nothing can happen to me…I'm a spirit." Zelda sighed at this.

"Aww c'mon being a spirit can't be that bad."  
"It is…"

"Well…you can fly!" Link said "And you don't have to put up with annoyances I have to deal with, like pain and bad temperatures like in the Tower of Spirits."

"Hmmm…I guess you have a point…" Zelda said "But I still miss my body."  
"I probably would too…but why don't you try enjoying your time as a spirit more?"  
"You know what, you're right!" Zelda said "Hold up a little bit, Link. I'm going to try flying next to the train."  
"Hang on; let me see what's on this station here." Link said pulling the emergency break as usual and stopping.

The place they stopped at looked like a zoo. It had several different environments in one place, it was pretty grassy and there were several boxes full of food. It had a gate in the shape of a rabbits head. Unlike a zoo it seemed pretty empty

"Well this is an odd place…" Zelda said. Link walked to the gate and saw two bunnies near it, both were wearing little different colored shirts, one was blue, and one was pink. Link and Zelda then saw the weirdest thing of all. A full grown man in a black bunny suit. What creeped out Zelda the most was that it was four sizes too small for this man. _Who IS this guy? _Link approached him, looking a little apprehensive.

"Erm…hello?" Link said

"Welcome to Rabbitland Rescue, a haven for rabbits and their furless friends. There are millions of rabbits without a home or human companionship. Here at Rabbitland Rescue, we save these bunnies from the harsh wilderness…and provide them with much-needed frolicking."

"Aww…" Zelda sighed. She still thought this man was weird, but he didn't seem all that creepy anymore. Zelda had a soft spot for animals, especially furry ones like rabbits.

"You are here to frolic with the bunnies, right?" the man asked.

"Say yes, Link!" Zelda cried, she had forgotten about her body for the first time and was desperately looking forward to playing with the rabbits, forgetting she couldn't even touch them. Link gave a laugh and said he would, he also had a soft spot for animals. Apparently the man didn't think he was serious though

"Let me be 120 percent clear. If your hearts not in it, you're gonna get burned. Are you SURE you want to frolic with bunnies?"

"My heart IS in it!" Zelda cried. Link forced himself not to laugh this time and said

"Of course!"

"OK, I'm convinced. If you want to join the Rabbitland family, you'll need this!" with that the man handed Link a net, it was black and white and had a bunny head on top.

"Err…what is this for?"

"Hm? Why'd I give you a net, you ask? Well…because if you wanna frolic, you gotta work for it first! I mean, what kind of person frolics with a bunny someone else caught? Rabbitland Rescue takes care of the bunnies you bring in to frolic with. We even frolic with them when you're too busy to stop by!"

"Err…I thought it was wrong to frolic with someone else's bunnies." Link said, not pointing out that he noticed the man kept on using "we" when he was the only person here with Link other than Zelda. The Rabbitland Rescue man coughed and continued

"But never mind those little details. Now you know what we're about! Does everything I've said make sense to you?" The man asked

"Yes." Link lied, he understood him well but he found several things odd about what he said.

"Good, anyway you probably figured it out yourself but to catch a bunny you need to find them in the wilderness. Once you spot one the hunt is on. The rabbit will try to run from you, but only cause it likes being chased. Go after it with your net and if you're careful you'll have an adorable bunny in hand before you know it! You understand what I said?"  
"Sure did!"

"Wonderful! Now go catch some of those poor, homeless rabbits and tote them back to me. I've got great prizes for you, depending on how many you bring back!" Link nodded and headed back to the train.

"If we see any rabbits, we should be sure to try and catch them with the net." Zelda said "Let's be off!"

When they left Zelda began to fly. She looked a little nervous flying so fast but she seemed to be having fun. She was smiling anyway. When she saw more of those warthogs though, she flew back over to Link. Link was able to defeat these this time with the cannon. When they were both down Zelda flew up to the passenger car and sat on it.

"Look, it's snowing! I haven't seen snow in years…" Zelda said.

"I haven't seen snow in my whole life." Link remarked "Sounds fun…but I guess this IS the Snow Realm…" at this point more warthogs appeared. Link easily dispatched them just like the others. "Hey look! What's that…?" Link said suddenly stopping the train.

"What?"  
"Shh…" Link said quietly reaching in his pocket slowly. To Zelda's surprise he took out the bunny net. Link crept close to a rock and with incredible speed, nabbed a bunny.

"Great job!" Zelda said. She hadn't even seen the bunny. The snow bunny was a black color. "Aww…it's so cute!" Zelda cried and Link put it in an area in the passenger car and left it some of his food rations. When Link got back on the train he drove it a little further to a station up ahead, it was currently the only station they could find on the map. The village was a frosty place with a lot of snow. The houses looked like advanced igloos and there were pine trees covered in snow. The people of this village looked the most peculiar. Their faces seemed human but their feet looked like birds and the coats they were wearing seemed to be made of a penguin with antlers. What was most strange was how easily their hands fit into the flippers. It made Link and Zelda think that perhaps they DID have flippers. "Brrr! This place is freezing!" Zelda said. Link raised an eye at this. "…Though I can't really say for sure, seeing as how I have no body."

"Speak for yourself…" Link muttered, Zelda giggled at this comment.

"But enough talk. We should ask the villagers about the Lokomo of this realm." Link nodded and walked through the village. He spotted a white ChuChu and attacked it. "Wait, Link, don—" Zelda cried but too late. The moment Link's sword touched the ChuChu's body water started forming all around Link and immediately froze. "Link!" Zelda cried. Suddenly with a great amount of energy Link broke free. Gasping he asked

"What was that!"  
"It's an ice ChuChu, that mist around its body is dangerous." Link eyed the whirlwind and took it out. He blew at the ChuChu and it flew several feet away. It was knocked out. Link stabbed again, and this time it worked. The ChuChu was dead. Link headed to the house of one of the villagers, killing another ice ChuChu on his way. Inside was one of the villagers dressed in yellow.

"Hey! Guy! Whatcha doin' all the way out here in the snow? Ya part snowman?"

"Err…no, actually I'm looking for a Lokomo named Steem, do you know him?"  
"What what? Do I know a fella named Steem?"  
"Do you?"

"Steem…Steem…Steem…St…ee…m. Guy! I got it! EXTREME! Extreme rhymes with Steem! How good am I?" Link just stared at him "…I guess you didn't need a rhyme, did ya? Well that's all I got. If ya need another type of answer, go talk to the village honcho!"  
"Thanks." Link said as he left

"That was…odd." Zelda said. Link nodded and began looking for the honcho's house. As Link looked around the village something caught his eye, another rocket rock. Link listened to this for a moment a pulled out the flute. Link had a much easier time with this one than the last, as he was getting better. When he finished playing the song a stone chest rose from the ground. Link opened it and pulled out a bottle with very red liquid.

"Hmmm what is this?" Link asked as he examined it.

"I think that's a red potion. Keep it, Link. It's used for healing and may save your life!" Link nodded and pocketed it. "What I want to know is what that song was."

"I think it's used for discovering hidden things…I'll call it the Song of Discovery." Zelda nodded at this and Link continued looking in houses. The next house he entered had an elderly one of these creatures; he wore purple and had a long white beard. "Excuse me; I was wondering if you knew anything about the leader of this village." Link said.

"If you're lookin' for the honcho of this place, you're starin' right at him!" the old man said. "Not only am I the honcho of this little village, Honcho's my name! Tell me, guy, was I not made for this job?"

"Sure…" Link said

"But enough about me. Is there a reason ya wanted to talk to me?"  
"I'm looking for a way to the Snow Sanctuary, have any info?"

"Whazzat? You wanna going to the Snow Sanctuary? But the tracks goin' that way are all gone, guy!"

"R-really?" Link asked nervously

"…Honestly though, when those tracks disappeared, us Anoukis were shocked. Not only were the tracks gone, but monsters started poppin' up too! We're in a real bind now! There's danger around every corner!" Honcho said, ignoring Link completely. "You've just GOTTA help us! S-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y, guy…please." Honcho was panicking now. Link had no idea how the conversation even got here and stood open mouthed. "…Sorry 'bout that little outburst. Us Anoukis can get a little fiery sometimes. Anyhow, I'm tryin' to put together a village watch to deal with our problem. I'm thinkin' pairs of villagers would work best. Safety in numbers, y'know? Did you catch all that, green guy?"

"Yeah…" Link said wondering if Honcho even remembered why he was here. It seemed he did for he said

"So I don't really have time to yak about going to Snow Sanctuary. But I might be able to chat more if you help this old-timer organize some teams. What do you say, pal?"  
"Sure…" Link said wondering how he would be a big help in this.

"Ya think you're up to the task, buddy? Yeah, ya have a real capable look to ya. Well, do your best, but don't get worked up if the going gets a little tough! See, most of the villagers are a little picky about who they partner up with. Pairin' them up is going to be a pain, but I think ya got it under control. Talk with folks in town, and come tell me when you found the best pairings! You catch all of that, pal?" Honcho asked.

"Sure did." Link said.

"Ya gotta arrange the six villagers, includin' yours truly, into three pairs. I'm happy pairin' with an old Anouki, but some villagers are more picky." Link nodded and headed outside.

"We've been given quite a task. Let's start by talking to the local villagers." Zelda said. "I'll be happy to share my opinion if you want."

"That'd be nice, thanks Zelda." Link said and began speaking to the villagers. After talking with them all, Link learned that Kofu was very proud of his large horns and didn't want anybody else with large horns that might outshine him. Noko didn't like people who wore yellow as he thought yellow was an ugly color, except on bananas apparently. Link and Zelda who were both blond felt a little offended by this but kept their silence. Bulu didn't like being called boo hoo or anyone with facial hair. Yeko hated Noko, but was otherwise OK with anyone else. Lastly they learned that Agent Yellow(Yefu) didn't like people with big horns either. He denied it was because his were small though. Link took notes on everyone and when he was done sat down in the snow and looked them over. He looked very cold sitting there and Zelda was tempted to place her arms around him to keep him warm but knew her cold touch could only make things worse.

"Z-z-zelda…" Link said through chattering teeth.

"What is it, Link?" Zelda asked.

"Could I have your opinion on this please?" Link said holding up a paper with team ideas.

"Oh, sure. Hold it up for me, and I will take a look." Link did so and Zelda looked it over. Link had Honcho with Yeko, Yefu with Kofu, and Bulu with Noko. "Hmmm…good list, but I think your forgetting something about Kofu."  
"What's that?"

"Even though he and Yefu both hate people with big horns…Kofu DOES have big horns." Link let out a gasp and looked his list over. Link gave a groan. "Sorry…" Zelda said.

"No, no, it's not your fault." Link said erasing the list and starting it over from scratch. Zelda couldn't help feel it was her fault; she felt if it weren't for her, Link would be living a peaceful life now. After five minutes Link stopped. "Would you mind checking again?"

"Mm-hm." Zelda said looking over Link's shoulder. "Hmmmm…hey, I think you have this one right! Great job, Link!"

"Th-thanks…" Link said with chattering teeth. Link pocketed the list and headed to Honcho's house.

"Hey, it's my guy!" Honcho said when he saw Link. "Got those patrol teams ready yet?"  
"Sure do!" Link said. Honcho did a little dance at this

"YES! I knew ya'd come through for me! Gimme the lowdown!"

"Alright, you will be partnered with Yefu. Yeko will be partnered with Bulu. And Noko will be partnered with Kofu."

"BOOYA! There ya go! Ya know, I think this is gonna work out perfect! Erm…I mean, you've just backed up what I was already suspectin'. I just needed ya to double check with me. Just the same, here's a thank-you gift!" Honcho produced a red rupee worth twenty and handed it to Link. "Why are ya still hangin' around here, guy? I thought we were all done." Honcho added when Link didn't leave.  
"Are you sure?" Link asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Oh right!" I was so jazzed about getting' the teams together, I almost forgot. Ya were tryin' to make your way out to the Snow Sanctuary, weren't ya? Meeting with Steem right? Well it's a pain to get there, but here's the deal. The good news is the snow sanctuary isn't all that far from here." Honcho said pointing at his own map of the Spirit Tracks. "The bad news is that the only way there is outta commission. Technically speakin', the tunnel that goes there is still intact…but no one's used it since that ginormous monster moved in a few years back. See, us Anoukis are thinkers, not fighters. But I can tell you're cut from different cloth than us! Sturdier cloth! Sure, the tunnel to the Snow Sanctuary is scary, but you can handle it! Here's the entrance." Honcho said tapping the map again. "If ya decide to use it, be careful in there, OK? You're a good guy. I'd hate to see ya get hurt. Plus…I'd look like a doof if it got out that I showed ya how to get there!"  
"Right…well I'll be careful then." Link said heading out and going back to the train.

"I'm so glad we found out how to get to the Snow Sanctuary!" Zelda said relieved "It took quite a bit of work to get the information, but now our coarse is clear. Are you ready to set out and meet Steem?" Link gave a nod and boarded the train. Link set a course to the place Honcho told him about. Zelda yawned and lied down on the passenger car. Link ran into some more boars on his way to the tunnel but defeated them quickly. When Link entered the tunnel Zelda sat up straight. There was a loud THUMP and both turned around. Behind them was a giant crab like bug with some sort of weird eye looking thing in its mouth. It was at least as big as the giant monster from the Forest Temple. It gave a roar and charged after them, Zelda whimpered and flew to Link. She felt safer with him, even if she was a spirit who could not be harmed by things that couldn't see her. Link immediately shot cannon balls at the creature's mouth where the eye-like thing was. This seemed to be the best strategy; soon the creature fell and was lost in the darkness. "What in the world was that?" Zelda shrieked. The creature caught up with them quickly. "Is that a bug? I hate bugs!"  
"Zelda, I know you're scared but I need you to do something for me." Link said

"Wh-what is it?" Zelda asked

"Keep your eyes ahead of the tracks while I deal with the bug behind me. I need you to tell me if there's something there that I should be aware of. I need to keep an eye on this bug." "O-OK, Link!" Zelda said, thinking it would be a relief to look the other way. However she was wrong, she had no clue what was happening. She could only hear the BANGs of the cannon and the bug's shrieks. Once the train got hit by the bug which was scariest of all. Suddenly Zelda heard the bug's footfalls slow and its shriek once more. Suddenly all noise subsided and Zelda dared to look behind her again, she saw Link's smiling face look back at her, once again paying attention to the tracks. The bug was dead.

"Thanks, Zelda." Link said with a smile. There was light ahead and they found themselves out of the tunnel and in front of the Snow Sanctuary. Link pulled the breaks and stopped.

"What was that…that…THING back there? I've never seen a bug that size! People weren't meant to go there! Let's never go back, Link! You understand don't you? No going back there, OK?"  
"If there's an alternative route, I promise I will take it no matter how much longer, as long as you're happy. If not I will have to go back there…" Link said. Zelda gulped as Link began climbing the Snow Sanctuary. Suddenly three wolves appeared. They were very white and blended in with the snow. They growled at Link menacingly. To Zelda's surprise Link growled back just as fiercely and even scared one of them. Link took the opportunity to slay it with his sword before turning his attention back to the others. Zelda giggled, as intimidating as Link's growl really was, it was surprising to see it come from somebody like Link. When all wolves lay dead, Link continued. Link stopped by a stamp station and took out Niko's book. The stamp here featured three wolves and snowflakes. Link continued climbing and blew a ice ChuChu out of his way before killing it. Link then saw a cave and entered. There were nine statues here; these were not at all unlike the ones from the Forest Sanctuary. There was a tenth slab of stone with text engraved on it _When the door opens, head to the far room without being seen…_ Link looked down at a floor switch and at a door on the other side.

"Erm, Zelda, could you look away please?" Link asked. He had a habit of taking things very literally.

"Link I don't think that's what it—oh, OK, I'll let you figure it out…" Zelda said turning her back to him. Link stepped on the switch and the door opened. Link ran to the other side but suddenly he saw a statue quiver and the door closed. "Figure it out yet?" Zelda asked

"Yeah…it meant the statues, not you." Link said. Zelda giggled and watched as Link explored the area looking for a route in which he wouldn't be seen. When Link found one he pressed the switch again and followed it. He made it successfully to the next room. The next room was very white; in fact it looked as though water had frozen on the floor. Sitting on the altar must have been Steem. Had has similar traits to Gage and Anjean, but the biggest giveaway was his set of wheels. He was old with eyebrows even bushier than Link's, a mustache, and white hair that was done into a ball on top of his head. It reminded Link of a snowball left on the snow.

"Excuse me…are you the guardian of this realm?" Zelda asked "Anjean told us you'd be here…"

"Hoo hoo hoo! Nice to meet the both of you!" Steem said merrily. "My name's Steem, I am indeed the guardian of the Snow Realm.

"Not hard to pick this old guy out of a crowd, is it?" Zelda muttered to Link who gave her a smile.

"Hoo hoo hoo! I've heard all about you two! You want to restore the Spirit Tracks correct?"  
"That I do!" Link said.  
"Such exuberance! Such vigor in that voice! Now THAT, my boy, is a reply!"  
"Er…thanks." Link said

"You've shown great bravery in coming here, and it sets my heart soaring! You posses a power vital to restoring the Spirit Tracks. Have you heard of the songs of the Lokomo?"  
"Of course!"

"I'll teach you, your part now, so listen closely! Then play as I played!" Link nodded at this and took out the flute. Steem began to lead him through a four note piece. Link mastered it much quicker than last time. When Steem decided Link had done enough he stopped "Excellent! Now how about a real performance?"  
"Sure."

"Now don't let my part through you off." Steem said as Link placed the rail map between them. They went slow just like Gage did but Link played perfectly the whole time and it was hardly needed. Zelda closed her eyes and listened to their beautiful music. When they were done the rail map glowed and near Spirit Tracks appeared. There were many ways to the temple and a few Spirit Tracks to the east appeared. "I haven't been that nervous about performing in I don't know how long…but now the Spirit Tracks to the Snow Temple should be restored. Go forth, and may luck be with you! Oh, but there is one thing I should warn you of." Steem added. "Ferocious blizzards have been salvaging the area around the temple. Be careful on your journey there!"  
"Well done, Link!" Zelda complimented "Now let's head for the Snow Temple! Thank you so much, Steem!"

"Hoo hoo hoo! Good luck you two!" Steem said. Link and Zelda waved goodbye and headed back toward the train station.

Link set a route for the Snow Temple and off they went. Suddenly out of the snow rose a jolly looking snowman. Link smiled at it…until it threw its head at the train which nearly knocked Link off the train

"WOAH!" Link cried out.

"Watch it!" Zelda said. Link stopped the train and shot the snow man which had just regrown its head. When it was gone Link headed onward. He didn't need to defeat the snow man but it made him mad. Link felt that things that looked merry and happy ought to be on his side…even though Cole was a big contradiction to this. Link continued onward, but as he made it closer to the temple the blizzard picked up. "This storms something else! I can't see anything!" Zelda cried holding on to Link. Normally a shy boy like Link would have blushed at this, but the blizzard was so cold and the storm was so scary that he didn't. A snow man popped up, Link destroyed it this time. Soon there was a whirl of snow. It was all white, Link couldn't see and neither could Zelda. Zelda held on tighter to Link now, afraid they would get separated somehow and never find each other. Suddenly their vision cleared

"Phew…we're out…" Link said happily but then his face fell. They were right back where they started; it was the Lost Woods all over again.

"Well that's odd. Where are we exactly?" Zelda asked

"The beginning…." Link said  
"Hmm…it seems that blizzard pushed us back the way we came."  
"I'll try again…" Link said. Zelda didn't like what Link was doing, he was being reckless and she didn't like being in the blizzard. It scared her. But Zelda didn't argue and Link set off again. The result was the same. When they were back at the beginning Link let out a sigh "Now what are we to do?" Zelda sighed too

"…Looks like the blizzard carried us all the way back to the beginning. Let's go to Anouki Village and see if someone can help us." Link nodded

"Good idea, should've thought of it the first time." Link made a new course to Anouki Village and set off. The ride was short and uneventful. When Link climbed off he saw the Anouki already working in teams. Link smiled and immediately started heading to the honcho.

"Hey! If it isn't my favorite green guy!" Honcho said "Did you see that monster in the tunnel?"  
"Yeah and he's gone by the way, so the paths safe now." Link said "Anyway I have more pressing matters, you see there's a blizzard near the Snow Temple which I'm heading to and I can't get past."

"What was that? You wanna pass the blizzardy area? Thing is…the storms there will just blow ya back to where you started."

"I noticed. I want to know how to get past them."

"Whazzat? How do ya get past 'em? Boy, guy, ya just don't stop with the questions, do ya! Oh well—you're a pal, so of course I'll tell ya."  
"Please do."

"…But the truth is, I don't really know what to tell ya. We've had those fierce snowstorms since the Spirit Tracks disappeared. It's made it so pretty much no one can get near the place. But there is this one guy off the eastern fields who's nuts about trains. Think he goes by the name of Ferrus or somethin' like that. Why doncha ask him if there's a safe way through that mess? Ha! How's that for a great idea? I'm not the honcho for nothing, ya know!"  
"Thank you, Honcho!" Link said leaving the igloo and returning to the train.

"I don't know how useful Honcho's suggestion will prove to be." Zelda said as Link jumped aboard "Still, it sounds like it's worth paying this Ferrus a visit! Honcho said we can find him in the plains to the east."

"Right." Link said as he started the train. Zelda sat on the passenger car again and they were off. Link set a route to the east, nowhere in particular. Zelda sighed as Link blew up a snow mans launched head in mid air and destroyed it

"I used to make those things when I was a little girl…it's so sad to see them attack you like this." Zelda said. Link had to admit as he blasted new one down that it was sad to destroy something so innocent looking. Link passed through a small forest and on the other side were more snowmen. Two of them attacked Link at once but he easily brought them down.

"Say do you think Ferrus might be there?" Link asked as they came up to a station

"Worth a try, I suppose." Zelda said. Link slammed the breaks and stopped. The place they were at was cold just like the rest of the Snow Realm but despite this the sparkling spring had not frozen. Near this nice spring was the strangest looking house Link had ever seen. It looked a bit like a vehicle, though not like any train Link had seen.

"This spring is absolutely beautiful…" Zelda said staring at it. Link looked at it too, then at Zelda. _**Yes…very beautiful**_ "Link? What are you looking at?" Zelda asked. Link gasped and looked away, blushing furiously. He had been staring at Zelda and hadn't realized until she pointed it out to him.

"Let's go find Ferrus…" Link muttered entering the strange house. Zelda stared at him, confused at what had caused him to get so disoriented. Link looked around. The place was empty of any person but had a lot of model trains. Link glanced at something taped to the wall. If he wasn't mistaken, the picture drawn here looked the same as the archways he sometimes passed as he rode the train. It had printing on it

_Locomotive Musings by Ferrus_

_You know those archway-gate things you see on the rails sometimes? Who MADE them? WHEN? And WHYYYY? I was up all night pondering these questions, but I worked out a hypothesis. I think you can use them to break the space-time continuum! Cool, huh! There seem to be two types of these space-time gates. I'm pretty sure you can use both of them to warp to and from places. One type has a triangle at the top of the arch, and the other doesn't. I think they work in pairs and that hitting the triangle does something. I tried throwing rocks at a gate to the south of Anouki Village… But bummer of all bummers, I couldn't reach it. I guess my arm is too weak. That's why I'm starting a new push-up regimen until I can hit the darn thing! _

"This is definitely Ferrus' house." Link said when he read this.

"Oh, look. There's a note on top of the desk." Zelda said pointing. Link went over to the desk and picked up a yellow piece of paper with rough picture on it. It looked like a section of Spirit Tracks off the map, there were dots on it. There was also a note

_Need to get good shots of these hot new trains. I'll try these spots today._

"These spots" must have referred to the dots. Link kept them in mind and headed back to the train.

"I'm surprised that anyone lives all the way out here. It's awfully remote. Anyway let's get going." Zelda said

"Yeah…" Link said climbing on the train

The spots Ferrus was supposed to be weren't far away. Link checked the map.

"See a train anywhere here?" Link asked Zelda.

"No…he can't be…on foot can he?"  
"I see one train and it's one of the evil ones…he must."  
"That's crazy! It's freezing and he could get killed by all the monsters around!" Link nodded, for this was why so many people were dependant on engineers. The country was small compared to our standards; it was the monsters that made people feel the need for a train. Nevertheless Link checked the three areas, keeping a wide birth between him and the Dark Train. After killing a snowman and failing to find Ferrus in two spots, Link finally heard something, it sounded like clicking. Link saw a young teenager at the side clicking away at the Spirit Train with his pictrograph. A pictograph is a camera, and yes it does exist in this world. Link pulled his train to a halt next to the boy and got out. The boy was dressed in a light blue fake engineer's uniform and had a hat like the one Link used to wear. He had buckteeth and an excited face.

"OH MY GOSH, you stopped!" The boy said when Link came by "Uh…so how's it rolling? When I first saw you driving THE Spirit Train, I freaked! I was all like 'HOLY COW it's THE Spirit Train!' Say, you're the guy who just became an engineer. Link, was it?"  
"Yes, are you Ferrus?" Link asked

"I am Ferrus. When it comes to trains, I'm kind of an expert. You know, everyone else is too spooked to take their trains anywhere right now. But here you are, driving away. Very interesting…you just GOTTA tell me where you're headed."  
"I'm on my way to the Snow Temple." Link said.

"Really? You're headed to the Snow Temple? Chugga-chugga-wow! That place is impossible to get to, what with the blizzard and all…" Link was about to ask for Ferrus' help when he continued "But I hear the tracks linked to the Tower of Spirits to the temple are safe! As in, they're protected from the storms! HOW COOL IS THAT? Say, maybe if you took those tracks, you might be able to reach the temple!"  
"Would you know which tracks connect to the Tower of Spirits?" Link asked

"OH! I just remembered I have an old map of the tracks around that area. Some parts are out of date, but the tracks you're looking for are there…" Ferrus handed Link a dusty map. Link blew the dust off and examined the map. Link then wrote it down on a piece of paper and gave the map back to Ferrus. "How'd it go? Where you able to decipher your path?" Ferrus asked.

"No sweat." Link said. "Thank you, Ferrus. Goodbye."  
"Bye!" Ferrus said as Link took off. Link set a course to the temple again, feeling more confident than before.

…What is wrong with you guys? When I was correcting this I saw that I had replaced the B in "Crab" with a P…c'mon! This is supposed to be rated T, you need to tell me when I screw up THAT badly!


	10. Snow Temple

Zelda clung on to Link once more when they made it to the blizzard area. They took a left and they were officially in the storm. Zelda wasn't as scared as before, there was no reason for them to fail, but she still didn't like the idea of being carried off by the harsh winds and being separated from Link. Link took a right, and then took a left. A snowman appeared, Link could barely see it so it managed to hit him once but Link defeated it after. Link took a right again, then another left. Link killed another snowman. Zelda was scared but was feeling more confident. They had never gotten this far before. Link now took a left and then a right. Two snowmen appeared this time, but Link easily dispatched them. The temple was just up ahead…

When Link entered the temple where they could see, Zelda let go of him somewhat embarrassedly as he hopped off the train.

"So this is the Snow Temple." Zelda said "Are you ready for this, Link?"  
"More than last time." Link said

"Then let's go!" Zelda said. Link nodded and set off to his right through the door. Link gave a loud groan. He had hoped the temple would be warmer than the outside, but that wasn't the case. The temple practically was outside, there were holes everywhere on the ceiling and walls. It was snowing everywhere and the grass had even frozen. Link slashed at the grass so it wouldn't block his path and killed a keese. The next room he walked in had a solid frozen floor. There was an ice ChuChu here and Link blew it away before stabbing it. As he slayed it he fell on his face due to the slippery ice. "Are you OK?" Zelda gasped

"Fine…" Link said slowly getting to his feet and falling again. When Link managed to get up again without tripping he examined a block with a large bell on it. Just a few feet from it was a slot with a bell symbol. Link push the block into the slot but nothing happened. Link looked around and killed another ice ChuChu. Link then saw a sign on the wall. It had three lines and through the middle one were two pictures of bells. Link punched the bell twice and a door to his right opened. Link headed to this room and saw a staircase to a ledge too far to jump. In between this was a lot of ice and a normal block. Link pushed the block to an area to jump on between ledges to make it to the other side, tripping a few more times in the process. Rubbing himself, Link ran to the ledge and jumped on the block, then to the next ledge. Link followed this to a hall leading to the next room. In this room was a lot of unfrozen water and in this water were several beasts known as octoroks which were monster octopuses. These ones were rapidly sending out balls of whatever they spat out in front of them. On the other side was a switch. "What do you think my chances are of making it?" Link asked.

"Oh, Link, don't!" Zelda said "That water must be freezing! And you're cold enough as it is!"  
"Any suggestions?" Link asked. Zelda placed her hand on her chin and thought for a moment before answering

"Yes…I have one idea. Use the whirlwind and time it with those ball things the octoroks keep shooting out and make it hit the switch."  
"Good plan!" Link said pulling out the whirlwind.

"Thanks." Zelda said. It took Link awhile but after three tries he managed to get it perfectly and the projectile hit the switch which formed two bridges. Link crossed these to the other side of the room, dodging the octoroks as he did so. At the end was another staircase which Link took. There was a pond here, with a little bit of frozen ice near the beginning. On the frozen ice was a block. Link pushed it and it landed in the water. Thankfully the block floated and Link was able to ride the water on it. Link blew at a windmill ahead and saw the whirlwind would make the block move like a boat. Link used this to his advantage and once the door on the other side was open Link went there and saw a newish monster. It was an octorok except it was incased in spiked ice. "A freezard." Zelda muttered "Don't attack these in an enclosed area, or they are dangerous. For now just knock it in the water." Link nodded and jumped to the area across the pond. It was frozen so he slipped once more, but managed to knock the freezard in with his sword while lying down. Link went into the next area past the door. The next area had an even bigger pond, but likewise had a block. Link pushed this and jumped on it, nearly falling off into the water. "Careful, Link!" Zelda cried. Link nodded and steadied himself. However there were octoroks in the water and Link just barely blocked ones projectile in time with his shield. Link used the whirlwind to sail around the pond to the other side and jumped off. The next room had a large ledge leading to a staircase and two switchs. Link grabbed a pot and threw it at the switch. He wasn't strong enough to reach it.

"Now what?" Link asked

"I don't know, but there's a room to your left." Zelda said. Link looked and saw that she was right. Link headed to the left and soon found himself in a room of ice. The moment he was in, the door shut closed behind him. Several blue keese appeared. Link knew immediately these must be ice keese, like fire keese but they would freeze him. Link pulled out the whirlwind and blew. They were really no different than ice ChuChu's except they were faster. When Link beat them all, the door opened again and a chest appeared. Link opened the chest and found a boomerang. It was yellow with silver in the middle and red ruby between the silver.  
"Maybe I can use this to get the switches." Link said out loud.

"Well that's probably why they put it here…but can you use a boomerang?" Zelda asked.

"Well…I'll try." Link said holding the boomerang over his head. Zelda saw the ruby glow and when he let go the boomerang did a perfect curve and went back to him.

"Link, do that again!" Zelda said.

"OK…" Link said holding the boomerang above his head once more.

"Look, the ruby!" Link looked and saw it glowing. "I think it's magic! Maybe it will go wherever you want it!"  
"Hmmmm…" Link said throwing it. The boomerang did several twists and loops then went back to Link. Zelda realized Link had been tracing her name in midair.

"So it IS magic!"

"I suppose it's safe to assume I can throw it at the switches without worrying about it falling off." Link said heading back to the switches. Link concentrated for a moment then threw the boomerang. It hit both switches and went back. With the switches green, a bridge appeared and Link crossed it to the next staircase. Link found himself in another room with an icy floor. Another bell was on a block but smaller than the last one, and a note on the wall. Likewise it had three lines. This time though it had one in the middle, two on the top, then another in the middle. Link memorized this and pushed the block bell down the ice. Link found a door at the end and couldn't move it any more. Link turned to his right and saw a large abyss with several ice keese there. "I wonder what's over there." Link said

"Hmmm…I could check seeing how I can float and all." Zelda offered but Link shook his head.

"The keese might hurt you."  
"They can't. Only people who can see me can hurt me. If Phantoms can't then I'm sure something as common as these won't!"  
"Fine…" Link said. Zelda floated to the abyss and just to prove her point flew straight through one of the keese. Luckily it couldn't hurt her. "Zelda…!" Link moaned.

"See? No harm…anyway I don't see anything…wait! Link to your right…er left is a platform with a switch. Aim the boomerang there!" Link nodded and concentrated. He was having difficulty hitting an object he couldn't see. The first attempt hit the wall and the boomerang flew back to him. "Go a little to your right—sorry left!" Zelda said. Link nodded and threw it again. This time it hit and the door opened.

"Thanks, Zelda!" Link said gratefully.

"I'm glad to have been of help." Zelda said. Link pushed the bell some more and saw he was in the room with the first bell. Link saw a slot to the right of the larger bell and pushed the smaller one in it. Link glanced at the two and remembered the first bell music sheet. The first one had been the middle. Link threw the boomerang, it hit the bigger one, then the smaller one twice and then the bigger one again. A new door, south of Link, opened. Link entered it and saw a snowy room with a torch with fire in it. Link sat down next to the fire for a moment and warmed himself up a bit. Link then turned his attention to the other unlit torches nearby. Link did a very stupid thing and threw the boomerang in the fire of the first torch and once the boomerang was on fire he made it go the others. Once they were lit, they went out again. The boomerang was safe due to it being magical. But Link didn't know it would be and simply hadn't thought of the consequences. Link had simply had some dumb luck.

"Hmmm…" Link said to himself.

"Link, the floor!" Zelda said. Link looked and saw that his boomerang had melted the snow. There were dots around each of the torches. Link realized these were numbers and made the boomerang go to the top right, the bottom right, the top left, and finally the bottom left. When he finished, a new door opened. Link stepped through this and saw a staircase. Link climbed down and saw a locked door right next to him. There was a pond here as well, but unlike the others, it didn't have a floating block conveniently placed by. There was a torch in the middle full of the same blue-white fire the ice keese had. Link had a feeling this was freeze flame which would make things cold, not hot. Link threw the boomerang at this flame and made it go all over the water to another piece of land. This land had a chest. The boomerang froze the water everywhere it went, leaving a path for Link to follow. Link went to the chest and opened it, it had a key. Link went back to the other section of land and opened the door. This room was square and frozen with a torch in the middle. Almost predictably, the door closed behind him and an enemy appeared. This time it was freezards. Link stabbed one but this turned out to be a foolish thing to do. The ice, it seemed, was armor and the freezards bounced all over the place. They knocked Link over and hurt him with their spikes. Link threw the boomerang at the torch and made it hit the freezards. The ice melted at the flames touch and the octoroks were revealed. Link killed the octoroks and the doors opened. Link went to the new door and saw it only lead to the pond as well. Link wondered for a moment what the point of the room was. Then he saw a frozen windmill and realized he was to use the red torch. Link threw the boomerang and made it hit the torch and the windmill. When the windmill was unfrozen Link used the ice-fire to make a path to it. Link took out the whirlwind and blew. The windmills spinning opened a door. Link made another ice path and went here. The next room had the largest pond of them all. It had five torches in the middle, only one was lit and the water was infested with octoroks.

"Good luck, Link…I hope you don't fall in!" Zelda said. Link nodded and scanned for a bit of land to go to. Link saw one with a staircase and one with a stamp station. Wondering why there was a stamp station in such a deadly place and if Niko knew this, Link threw the boomerang at the first torch. He made it create a path for him and light the next torch. Link then used his next torch to make a path to the stamp station. Link looked through his pack for the stamp book, when he extracted it, he stamped it with the stamp of the Snow Temple. This one was blue and had a picture of the Snow Temple along with some Spirit Tracks, snowflakes and ice shards. Link pocketed the book and continued making a path across the pond, lighting torches and slaying octoroks on his way. When the fifth torch was lit, a chest appeared on the other side of land, which was now close to Link. Link made the final path and opened the chest; it had a large green rupee. Link was thankful as he was running out of rupees right now. Link took the staircase to the next room, which had the last and largest bell, along with another pond. The bell was on a frozen section of the pond. Link looked around and saw ice flames on the other side and floor switch. Link made a path for the switch. Once Link pushed the switch, it opened the door on the other side.

"How am I going to get that bell over there?" Link asked

"I think you need to push it across by making a frozen path don't you?" Zelda said.

"Yes, but isn't it too heavy?"  
"I have a feeling it isn't. They made the temples hard, but I know they're possible."

"I hope I don't drown…" Link said

"I hope you don't too. Good luck, Link and please be careful!" Link looked around and saw another room.  
"Wait maybe this place has a clue!" Link said and headed towards it. This room was in the snow as well, it had a torch of fire and several fire keese, but other than that, nothing. Link took out the boomerang and killed the keese.  
"Link, look!" Zelda said trying to push his face down, but couldn't actually move Link due to being a spirit. Link knew what she had meant to do though and looked down. There was a picture of a bell engraved on the stone floor where the fire from the fire keese had melted the snow. Link took out his boomerang and made it melt the rest of the snow. It showed him the final bell song. It went down, middle, middle, up, middle. Link made a note of this and went back to the room with the big bell. Unfortunately there was nothing to do but take Zelda's advice. Luckily it seemed that Zelda was right. When Link pushed the bell in position and then froze a path for it, it stayed on just fine. When Link pushed it through the door on the other side, they were once again in the main bell room. Link froze the little pond here and pushed the final bell in its slot. Link then played the last song and the north door opened. Link went through here and casually pushed a freezard away with his shield and headed up a staircase. The next room had two paths, forward and right. Link took the right path and saw a purple carpet with a red and blue fire torch on it, along with several unlit torches. There was also a symbol in the middle of the carpet. Link couldn't figure out what to do in this room and left. Link took the other path and after killing two ice ChuChus found another huge block door like the one from the forest temple.

"So I suppose there's another gigantic monster for me to fight, eh?" Link said looking at it.

"Maybe…maybe not." Zelda said "Oh…do be careful though, Link!" Zelda said full of concern. Link looked at her and saw how seriously she looked at him.

"I will Zelda, I promise. I won't rest until you have your body back! I swear it!" Link said with a smile. Zelda smiled too and Link turned his attention to something written on the wall. It had several red and blue pictures of flames. Link took a piece of paper and wrote it down. Link went back to the flame room and first lit the blue flames as they were supposed to be, then the red. It didn't do anything. Link checked the wall again and saw it matched his notes completely. Link lit the flames again to see if he had done something incorrect. The flames on the torches also matched his notes. "What am I doing wrong?" Link asked out loud.

"Maybe you're supposed to do it in one swing of the boomerang?" Zelda suggested "Try making it turn from red to blue, or blue to red mid-way." Link nodded and tried again, Zelda was right, it had worked this time. A new door opened for Link.

"Thanks Zelda." Link said

"Well I need to do something, don't I? I'm not much help…."  
"You're a big help!" Link said with such great sincerity Zelda was taken aback. Link went through the next door, the room had snow in and the door closed on him. Four wolves appeared, but Link slayed them easily with his blade and boomerang. When they were dead the doors for the way back and forward both opened. Link was now in an icy room with a great hole in it. On a pedestal was a big key. Link slipped as he crossed the room and nearly fell off

"Be careful!" Zelda cried. A less oblivious person than Link would have noticed that Zelda warned him quite a bit about his safety and seemed awfully concerned, even for a friend. But Link didn't notice this and nodded. Link saw a floor switch and stepped on it. When a bridge appeared, Link blew the big key on the bridge with the boomerang and collected it as he passed. The trip wasn't far to the door. Once there, Link threw the key which went into the lock itself once again. The block lowered and Link stepped in, bracing himself for another hard fight. In the next room was a narrow stone bridge, which Link crossed. On the other side was a slab of stone with words which also read _Step in the blue light and return to the temple entrance _and once read, blue light appeared. Link headed up the stairs and found himself in an area like the one in the Forest Temple. It was round and had a cliff all around it, once entered the door below him shut. Except this time the area he was on was made of stone and he was indoors. Link looked around and saw he must be at the top room of the temple. Suddenly a torch lit with red fire, then the other with blue fire. Some flames rose from both and left their torches, they fused and a new monster appeared. Unlike the last one it wasn't big or scary looking. It looked like a dark blue lemur with very pointed ears. Although it was taller, about as tall as Alfonzo, and it had a blue eye and a red eye. It had a single horn and wore clothing as well. It was floating a few inches above the ground and at the sight of Link expanded like a balloon, making him look very fat. It laughed at Link and deflated itself. It glowed blue for a moment and inflated itself again. Link cut at it, but this seemed ineffectual and the creature let loose a jet of icy fire which temporally froze Link until he was able to muscle out of it. It glowed blue again and Link looked at the two torches. Link threw the boomerang at the fire torch and made it hit the monster. The creature fell to the ground and Link slashed and hacked at it. The lemur slapped him away and expanded again, this time it was red. Link knew what to do, he went for the blue torch this time and once again the lemur fell. Link slashed and hacked until the lemur twirled and turned into two smaller lemurs, each was identical. Link had a hunch that each controlled a certain element and he needed to do the same as before, and he was correct in this idea. However the two were completely identical and Link couldn't tell who to go for. What if he made it stronger by giving it the wrong element? However the mystery was soon solved, the two creatures glowed. Each a different color, and Link aimed the boomerang at the torches. However unlike their combined form, the little lemurs did not take long to fire their attacks and Link was hit by the fire, which wasn't as big as the other projectiles the lemur could shoot, but was still deadly.

"LINK!" Zelda gasped. Link appeared to be fine though, he gave a wink to Zelda who didn't understand how he was doing so well, indeed the attack barely hurt Link, which Link didn't understand either. However I _do_ know why Link was barely affected, something the two teenagers didn't learn for months, and I will tell you. Like Zelda, Link was unique, although rather than his body, it was his spirit. Unlike Zelda it isn't carried through blood but by the spirit of courage from the great heroes, he had some of their spirit in him and now that he was fighting for Hyrule it was starting to show, it had actually all begun to appear after he defended Zelda from Byrne. And as he did more it got stronger. Back to the fight though, Link aimed the boomerang at the ice torch and made it hit the one he knew would be the fire monster. Once hit it turned into ash. Link then aimed fire at the ice creature which turned to water. Once they were both defeated, the ash and water fused to turn into the bigger version once more. The monster gave a little growl and destroyed the torches. Link gasped.

"Now what am I to do?" Link cried. Zelda gulped, she dearly hoped Link would be OK. The lemur turned red and Link ran as fast as he could, however that was all he could do—run. Link managed to avoid getting hit by the fire blast but was no closer to defeating the monster. The monster turned blue next and just when Link felt the cold wave rush past him, he got an idea. It was red again, Link threw the boomerang at the left over ice-fire and made it hit the lemur. It shrunk a bit but wasn't completely done with. Link made some more ice-fire hit it and it was exposed for attack once more. Link slashed at it with his sword until he was slapped back once again. It was red once more and shot fire at Link. Link had to roll to dodge it this time. When it was blue Link made the fire hit it twice and slashed at it once more. The response to this was predictable—turning into two small creatures once more. Link knew what to do, so he waited for them to attack. Once they did, Link made some of the fire hit the ice lemur. Once it was water, its ally cast a spell to revive it. Link growled and dodged another jet of fire and ice and began thinking of a strategy. After dodging two more jets Link realized he was making the same mistake here as he did with the torches in the purple carpet room. He needed to get them with one throw of the boomerang. Link made the fire hit the ice lemur again and just when the fire lemur was about to revive it, the boomerang hit him with some ice. The two fused again and Link had a feeling the battle was getting close to done. Link dodged a jet of ice and then another. When the creature finally turned red, Link made the ice hit him three times just to be safe. As it turned out, this was needed. Once the monster was stunned, Link slashed at it with his sword, avoiding the slap this time. The monster turned red and attacked. Link had to dive once more to dodge the fire, but still managed to hit his face on the floor. Feeling tired Link directed the fire at the now-blue creature and once it was deflated, he slashed it until it was dead. Link was gasping for breath…and so was the monster. It deflated and inflated and eventually blew up. A white triangle appeared and just like last time, a machine did too. Link smiled, his work here was done.

Link and Zelda stood side by side watching the machine's progress and the energy flow from the Spirit Tracks to the tower, and the small addition of Spirit Tracks. The tower added a new piece on, Link only needed two more now. Zelda moved over to Link with the type of relieved look a husband gets when he sees his wife after coming back from a war.

"You did it!" Zelda cried "You could have been frozen stiff or burnt to a crisp, but you avoided both!"

"Heh, thanks, Zelda." Link said, worn out but feeling pretty happy.

"Sorry I couldn't, um, be more help when you were risking your life out there." Zelda said awkwardly

"It's OK, Zelda. I know that if you had a body of any kind you would be doing everything in your power to help." Link said. Link stepped into the blue light and appeared back at the train station.

"Great job, Link! Let's head back to the Tower of Spirits and tell Anjean the good news!" Zelda said

"She probably knows." Link said but headed on his train and made a course to the Tower of Spirits.

I know…not my best chapter. Anyway I figured out how to spell ChuChu. Also since this isn't an original creation there will be no "notes" section when I finish the story. Oh well, please review =D


	11. Z for Zelda

The blizzard was gone when Link went out, so there was no reason to follow the tower tracks back. Link went the shortest way he could.  
"Look, the suns out! Ah it's so nice!" Zelda said happily. Link gave her a smile as Zelda lifted herself off the passenger car and flew next to the train. Occasionally Zelda would zoom ahead of Link and turn in mid-air to look at him; they would always smile at each other when she did this. There were only a few snowmen on the way back so there was little to distract Link from Zelda. He couldn't help but adore the way her pretty blonde hair would blow in the wind, and his eyes would occasionally follow her even when she wasn't floating in front of him. It was undeniable that Link really did like her. He had always found her beautiful but he never really took the idea of them together seriously. For one thing he barely knew her during the beginning of their adventure and not at all when he first saw her. For another she was the princess, and Link was usually pretty realistic. But Link couldn't get over the idea that maybe…just _maybe _Zelda right return his feelings and they would end up together. Link only stopped thinking of Zelda when he noticed he was about to crash into a Dark Train and needed to avoid it. Zelda's thoughts however were still on Link, hers were more unclear though. She had never been as close to anyone as much as Link, the only people who came close to this was her own dead family and Teacher. Yet she hadn't known Link nearly as long…perhaps she did like him a little bit. What wasn't there to like? _He's so sweet and nice to me…he doesn't even mind that I sent him on this ridiculous adventure. He's smart and a hard worker too! Whereas I've been spoiled all my life…and he's pretty cute too. AND he thinks I'M pretty. I can tell by the way he blushes around me sometimes. _Zelda giggled out loud and thought of the times Link had blushed, he looked even cuter then. Zelda decided to stop flying and sat on the passenger car once again, watching Link ride the train, his bushy, messy hair blowing in the breeze. By the time they were close to the Tower of Spirits, Zelda decided that she probably did have a crush on him, but she would probably get over it soon. She was very wrong about this. They had just passed a new station, but this time Link didn't bother stopping, it didn't look like it had much on it. Link brought the train to a slow stop as they made it to the tower and rushed to Zelda to see Anjean.

"It appears you succeeded in restoring the second area of Spirit Tracks. Well done, you two! I feel the energy flowing back into this tower!" Anjean said

"It's true—Link isn't one who gives up easily. I wish I could have helped, but in this form. There wasn't much I could do…" Zelda said a little sadly

"It's enough that you are by my side. That's all the help I need." Link told her comfortingly.

"Thanks, Link!" Zelda said feeling a rush of affection for him. "Now where should we go to restore the third section of Spirit Tracks?"

"Next is the Ocean Realm. Once again, you must climb the tower and retrieve the next rail map." Anjean told her

"That's what I thought! All right, we'll be back with it soon! Come on! Let's go get it, Link!" Link nodded and they headed to the staircase. Link climbed the stairs, skipping two doors and entering the third. The room they entered was very dark and had several lit and unlit torches in it. "Wow it's awfully dark in here. I can't see a thing, Link." Zelda's voice said from Link's right. "A place this creepy might even have ghosts floating around…wait…I'm a ghost. You're not afraid of me, right?"  
"Actually I am." Link said.

"Don't say that! This is only a temporary thing. I wasn't like this before…" Zelda said sounding a little hurt. Link noticed this and added

"Zelda, I was just kidding! Trust me, you're not scary at all."  
"Right? I'm not scary at all! Phew…you scared me…just try your best to keep us out of the dark, OK, Link?"

"Don't worry, I will, and I'm sorry about the joke. I didn't know you would be offended."  
"It's OK, I should have known better." Zelda said. Link headed to the right, lighting torches ahead with his lantern. There WERE ghosts in this area, but not at all like Zelda. They were shapeless, had buck teeth and kept trying to bite Link. But they seemed to want to avoid the light. Link kept on moving, feeling his way around until he found a staircase. Link climbed it into the next room. This room was dark just like the last but as they entered a Phantom passed. This Phantom was unlike the other ones they had seen, it had light pink armor and a flaming sword that illuminated the dark. "Look, Link! That Phantom has a light!" Zelda whispered. Link nodded and used the boomerang to light the way as he headed to his left. There was a stone slab, once Link lit the torch next to it he read _Blow out the lonely torch in the corner on this floor where the Phantom treads. Then you will see a faint light._ Link then saw two narrow paths near cliff edges but avoided them, it was dark and he was afraid of falling of the cliff. Link saw a safe zone up ahead and entered this. Once again using torches to light his way, Link headed to the right. Link saw something glowing up ahead and to his delight it was a Tear of Light. Avoiding the nearby Phantom, Link ran to this safe zone and collected the tear. Link realized this was the area "where the Phantom treads" and, keeping and eye out for the Phantom, Link snuck around until he spotted a torch. Link blew it out with all his breath and saw white light coming from a crack in the wall. Link remembered he had previously seen a bomb flower in this room and headed to his left. After making sure the Phantoms weren't coming, Link grabbed the bomb and ran to his right. Once he was near the crack, Link threw the bomb. It exploded and Link heard the Phantoms clanging armor as they set out looking for him. Link hurried in the new hole and saw the next Tear of Light. Link waited a bit for when the Phantoms were probably gone, and headed back out. Link ran to his left and passed the safe zone with the bomb flower, dodging the ghosts which tried to bite him. Link took another left to the source of the glowing. He had found the last Tear of Light. With the newly powered sword in his hand, Link headed back to the Phantoms.

"Ready to have some fun, Zelda?" Link asked

"Definitely!" Zelda said. Link gave her a smile, though she couldn't see it in the dark and headed back to the Phantoms. Unfortunately one saw him and Link had to flee back to the safe zone. Once it had forgotten Link and turned around, Link stabbed it. Zelda flew into its back with a smile on her face. The usual change took place, the armor turned into a darker pink and Zelda's eyes glowed out through the helmet. However the flaming sword was new. "Yay! I'm a Torch Phantom, so I've got this great sword to light the way! Now there's no need to worry about the dark! Come on, Link! We have to move!" Link nodded and they set off to the two paths Link once saw.

"Erm…Zelda." Link said.

"Hmmm?"  
"I know this sounds rude and a bit cowardly, but can you lead? You have that torch and I'm afraid to fall…"  
"Oh, of course, Link!" Zelda said, sounding excited about leading. "Follow me!" It was a good thing Link had thought of this, otherwise he would have definitely fallen off the cliff. The road zigzagged all over the place, but with Zelda, Link easily managed. They found a locked door with two unlit torches. Zelda immediately struck these with her sword and they were on fire. The door opened.

"How did you know that would happen?" Link asked

"Don't know actually, seemed like the sort of reason they would put the torches here." Link and Zelda headed in the next room. They headed to their right, Zelda continued to lead the way and slay some ghosts that came in sight. They withered at the light Zelda wielded and were easy targets. There was a floor switch in this room which Link stood on. Nothing happened.

"Must be another one, want me to look?" Link asked

"No, no, you stay there, I'LL look." Zelda said wandering around the room. Link gave her a smile. There was a far off click and a door opened up. Zelda must have found the other switch. Link whistled for Zelda to come back and she did.

"I'm not a dog!" Zelda said, for Link had done a whistle that sounded like he was calling a golden retriever to him. Link laughed

"OK then, let's go forward." Link said. Link and Zelda headed through the door and Link felt a stone slab. "Mind giving me some light, Zelda?" Link asked. Zelda came over and with her fiery sword Link could see the writing _Watch where you step. Illuminate as much as you can to find the answer. _  
"Looks like I'm leading!" Zelda said cheerfully. She marched ahead and the sign proved to be right, there were several holes in the ground, Link would have probably fallen in if Zelda wasn't leading. As they went there were several strange golden tiles with the Lokomo symbol on them. They also saw a door like they had seen at the temples. "Oooh! Do you think I get to help you fight one of those big tough monsters?" Zelda asked excitedly. She seemed happy at the idea, Link felt the opposite. He had just recently fought one of those and was still exhausted from that fight. Link swore to himself that he was going to get some sleep as soon as they found the rail map.  
"Maybe…" Link said. They continued walking until they found a red door. Link tried to push it open but instead heard a voice.

"The seeker of the key must draw the symbol that sleeps in this room."

"That door must have the big key!" Zelda said.

"What's the symbol?"

"It must be those tiles we passed, let's look!" Zelda said leading the way once more. As they passed the tiles they took into account what it looked like

"It's a Z…" Link said

"Z for Zelda!" Zelda cheered, Link laughed at this.

"I knew you would say that!" Link said and Zelda laughed as well. They found each other both looking into one another's eyes and thinking of the thoughts they had on the train. _Maybe…it's a little more than that. _"Err we better go to that door then." Link said

"O-oh! R-right!" Zelda said somewhat embarrassedly and lead Link back to the door. It spoke in the voice again, this time Link moved his hand across the door in the shape of a "Z". The door glowed and opened for him. As predicted, the big key was behind it. Link grabbed it and gave a yell. It had electricity running through it. "Link! Are you alright?" Zelda asked.

"Fine…" Link mumbled.

"Oh…you shouldn't have done that! Of course it's going to hurt you!" Zelda said between annoyance and concern. "Here let me try…" Zelda moved on hand on the key, it didn't hurt. "OK, I'll carry it!" Zelda said picking it up. But as soon as Zelda picked it up the room went bright and Link, who was outside the door now, saw a purple hand with a red eye on its palm and was a little bigger than Link appear. And judging by the sounds, there were more. "We've been found!" Zelda gasped "I'll carry the key! You take care of covering me, Link!"  
"Don't worry, Zelda, I will protect you!" Link said darting forward and killing the hands. Zelda went behind him. The hands kept reappearing but thanks to their teamwork Link managed to keep a clear path for Zelda when she came to the door and threw the key in. Once it was in, all .the hands disappeared, thought it was still bright in the room. "Great job!" Link gasped

"Yeah…you too." Zelda said. "That was scary…" The two looked at each other and smiled, or at least Link smiled and Link assumed Zelda smiled. He couldn't see past the helmet. They then headed up the stairs. The two were now in a dark hole with two criss-crossing bridges. The door shut behind them as soon as they entered. Zelda gave a squeal of excitement. A geozard appeared, except this one was red and yellow instead of green, and unless Zelda was very much mistaken it was a lot more powerful than the other one they faced. Zelda immediately rushed at the creature and attacked. Link ran and attacked it from behind. The red geozard slashed at Link with his sword. Zelda slashed at the geozard and Link once again hit it from behind. The creature roared and jumped fifteen feet away, and breathed fire at them.

"Hide behind me, Link!" Zelda cried. Link did as he was told and the flames didn't get him. Zelda rushed at the geozard again while Link focused on its back. The creature jumped at the second stab from Link's sword and breathed fire again. Some of it got Link this time, since Zelda was too far away. Zelda struck at it again and Link finished it off. It fell to the floor, dead, and the doors opened up once more, also a chest appeared. "Whew that was pretty scary!" Zelda said "Good thing I was here to help defeat him, right?" Zelda asked a little hopefully. Link gave her a big smile and said

"Yep, no way I could have beaten him without your help. You did a great job, Zelda!" As he hoped this made Zelda feel really good and she said

"Yessss! I helped defeat a monster! Just leave it all to me, Link!"  
"Maybe I will." Link teased. Link grabbed the chest which contained a rare Goron Amber with a frozen insect inside. Link followed Zelda up the stairs to where he was sure the rail map was. Link was right, lo and behold was the rail map. Link's sword lost its energy and Zelda left the Phantom.

"We've made it to the rail map room!" Zelda cheered. Link smiled and grabbed the rail map. There were very little Spirit Tracks on this one. A blue light appeared and Link began walking to it. "This is just getting easier every time, don't you think?" Zelda asked

"I suppose…"  
"Well, should we try for the next rail map?" Zelda asked. Link gulped, he was definitely too tired for that. However his reason caught up with him so he said

"I'd love to. But isn't that impossible right now?"  
"Now that's the attitude of a true hero!" Zelda said "But yes…we can't move on." Link gave an inaudible sigh of relief and went in the blue light. When Link was in the lobby, he went up to speak with Anjean.

"I see you've retrieved the third rail map! Now you can go to the Ocean Realm. The guardian of that realm is a Lokomo named Carben. Find him, and ask him to open the route to the Ocean Temple. You can reach the Ocean Realm by way of the Forest Realm." Anjean said pointing at Link's map "The river in the south-east divides the two realms, but there is a bridge here. You can use it to cross over to the Ocean Realm.

"Hey Anjean, I have a question before we go…" Zelda said

"Oh and what's that?"  
"I was wondering…could I possess a Phantom and go with Link like that? Then I would be able to help him!"  
"That's very brave of you, my dear, but you wouldn't be able to possess a Phantom for too long. Unlike you, they have a spirit in their body and it will eventually reject you. You would have two hours at most."  
"Oh…sorry Link." Zelda said sadly.

"It's OK; you're plenty useful as a spirit." Link said kindly

"Thanks…"

"I'm sorry as well, my dear. If I could, I would let you possess one, but it seems pointless to me."  
"OK, thanks Anjean." Zelda said "Let's go, Link!"

"Um…Zelda." Link said looking a little guilty

"What is it?"  
"Erm…I'm actually pretty tired…may I take a nap?" Zelda gasped, she hadn't realized how late it was or how long Link had gone without sleep

"O-oh, yes of course! Sorry I didn't think of you sooner!" Zelda said.

"Thank you for understanding…." Link said moving in the passenger car and sleeping on one of the seats. He fell asleep and started snoring immediately. Zelda smiled and sat next to the sleeping Link.  
"Good night, Link…" Zelda whispered to the sleeping Link "And have pleasant dreams…my little hero." Zelda said with a small giggle and kissed the top of Link's head.

Yeah I know I had Link steal Anjean's line near the beginning…well it just made more sense to me. And I also figure Link shouldn't need the whirlwind to blow out a fire. Hope you enjoyed. I wonder if the next chapter will be as long as chapter 9


	12. The Greedy Merchant and the Darker Train

Link yawned and stretched.

"Are you done?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go." Link said "Sorry for the wait."  
"It's OK." Zelda said as Link climbed out of the passenger car and on the train. Link pulled the whistle and they were off. Link made his way south, avoiding the Dark Trains as he went. The trip was eventless for half way, but suddenly Link pulled the gearbox on stop and jumped off with the train still slightly moving. Zelda stared as Link screamed

"BUNNY!" And began chasing a white rabbit with his net. Zelda burst into a fit of giggles at this. She laughed harder when Link did catch the rabbit and gave a little victory dance over it. Link put the bunny in the passenger car along with the other rabbit and they were off again. They were nearly to the Ocean Realm when it happened, the boars appeared again but this time Zelda knew what they were. Riding one of these creatures was one of the infamous bulbins. The evil thieves of Hyrule, and if these monsters were the steeds of bulbins they could only be bulbos. The bulbin riding the bulbo shot a bomb at Link, which was negated by Link's cannon. Link shot the bulbin down and defeated the bulbos. Link continued on but Zelda gasped, the bridge they were supposed to cross was broken.

"Look out, Link! Hit the brakes! NOW!" Zelda screamed. Link threw the train into reverse "We can't make it over that broken bridge. Now how are we supposed to get to the new realm?" Zelda asked. Link looked around and parked at a station next to the bridge, perhaps there was someone there who could help. "Who knew there was a tiny station all the way out here?" Zelda said looking around when they stepped off the train. The area was a grassy one surrounded by water. There was an island nearby and there was one single house in the station. "Why don't we see who lives in that house over there?" Zelda suggested. Link nodded and began heading over when the Postman came.

"Hey, hey, howdy, mister. I've got a letter for you here from one Mr. Beedle!"  
"Mr. Beedle?" Link and Zelda said together.

"He said something about opening up a shop in a hot-air balloon. Wacky! Oh—here's your letter!" The Postman said handing Link the letter. "OK, I've delivered your mail safely to you! Well, my work seems to be done here, so I'll be off. See you around!" The Postman left making the train sounds as he went. Link read the letter which said

_Greetings! There's a new shop in town—Beedle's Air Shop! We're having a bomb bag blowout, so keep your eyes peeled for our hot-air balloon! Whenever you see me, drive close and blow your whistle. Hope to see you soon!_

_ Beedle_

Link closed the letter and headed to his right and as he did he saw the bridge, it was pretty banged up.

"Just look at that bridge…it's a complete mess!" Zelda exclaimed. "How are we supposed to get to the other side with the bridge in this state? Maybe someone around here can fix it for us." Link nodded and headed towards the house and entered. For a small house, it sure had a lot of treasure. There were all sorts of strange things around, pearls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and chests full of goodies. Even Zelda, who had lived in the palace her whole life, had never seen so many treasures. There was a counter in the room and Link approached it, as he did a voice said

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the speaker was man around his thirties or forties, he was finely dressed in tan pants and a silk blue jacket with white designs around it. He wore a red tie and a tan hat with a small strip of green circled around it. He had a large nose and a small mustache and beard, his hair was brown and quite messy in the back, but it wasn't messy like Link's. In fact, you felt that he was rather well groomed when you looked at him. He would have been quite handsome if it weren't for the dark shadows under his dark eyes. "What do you want, you Rupeeless ragamuffin?" the man asked. "This is no place for the likes of you! Shoo! Shoo already! Get out of here!"

"Err…who are you?" Link asked ignoring the insults.

"Listen well, and remember my name, squirt!" The man said "I'm Linebeck III, president of Linebeck trading! I hunt down the rarest antiques in the world…then I sell them to the highest bidder! How that for an introduction? Did I just blow you away?" Linebeck asked. Link couldn't help but admit the man's introduction did impress him; he had a strong voice that made it sound like you were talking a great, powerful hero or king. The way he spoke, you truly did feel as if you met the ruler of the world. Although, he did somewhat ruin it by asking the question. Nevertheless Link responded

"Actually you were pretty good, Linebeck." Linebecks face changed at this, he seemed more pleased now.

"Well, you do make a good point there. I AM pretty spectacular. You know, I hadn't noticed before, but you possess a certain charm, squirt." Linebeck said.

"Oh, err thanks." Link said.

"But what are you doing here? You don't look like you've got treasure to sell."  
"Well the bridge near your station is out. I need to go to the Ocean Realm so I was wondering if perhaps you could help me in any way." Link said, trying to be polite as he could to someone so conceited. Link had the impression Linebeck was the type of picky person who wouldn't be of any help unless he liked the person at least somewhat.

"Well that's a sticky situation isn't it? But I agree the bridge is a sad mess." Linebeck said. "The huge storms we had really did a number on it. I was going to call a bridge worker I know in the Snow Realm to fix the mess. But with the Spirit Tracks vanishing I've got bigger fish to fry. See, I deal with merchants all over the world, and I can't get anywhere now! Wait…you're an engineer aren't you?" Linebeck guessed shrewdly. Link had no clue how he figured it out, did he see the train?  
"Yes. Yes I am." Link said

"Well that's just perfect! Go fetch the bridge worker so we can both get on with our business. Sound good?"  
"OK."

"Woo hoo! I knew I liked you, squirt!" Linebeck cried. "I'll wait here, so go fetch the bridge worker. Chop-chop now!" Link sighed and left. As soon as he was out Zelda groaned and said

"I hate him!"  
"Hmmm?"

"He is so conceited and full of himself!" Zelda cried as Link headed toward the train. The Postman came over once again.

Hey, hey, howdy, mister." The Postman said giving his usual greetings. "Mail for Link from the guard captain! Seems he thought up a new training regimen and is giddy as a schoolgirl." Link laughed at this "Do the guy a favor and show your face in the castle sometime, OK? Oh yeah and before I forget, here's your letter." The Postman said handing Link the letter. Link took it and opened it. It read

_Dear Recruit_

_How's the sword training going? You should consider testing your skill against more experienced swordsmen. If you want to take your technique to the next level, stop by the training room in the castle. We're waiting for you!_

_ -Guard Captain Russell_

Link closed the letter and boarded the train.

"Now what were you saying about Linebeck?" Link asked Zelda as he turned the train around and headed towards Hyrule Castle. He figured if he was going to be facing some rough monsters he ought to train some more with the sword.  
"Oh…well I think he's a conceited idiot!" Zelda said. Link looked at her with an amused expression; he had never seen Zelda insult somebody before. "I mean look at his name—Linebeck the third! I bet his whole family has a giant ego!"

"Err…I could be wrong but wasn't the last queen—your mother—named Zelda?" Link asked.  
"W-well…that's completely different!" Zelda said defensively. "My grandmother named her that and told her to name me the same out of respect for her ancestors who had a tradition of naming all the princesses Zelda!" Link nodded and shot down some bulbins and bulbos. They were halfway there now. It was here that Link saw it, a hot-air balloon. Link drove by and blew his whistle; he decided he could do with a bomb bag. Inside was a topless tan man who must have been Beedle.

"Ohhh, valued customer!" Beedle greeted "We have everything you need at Beedle's Air Shop! What can I interest you in?"  
"One bomb bag please." Link said

"You have fine tastes, valued customer!" Beedle said. "Five hundred rupees please!" Link gulped, he only had five hundred and twenty-two left. Link reluctantly gave Beedle the rupees and took the bomb bag. Lucky for him, it was full of bombs. Beedle offered Link a member's card for one hundred rupees but Link declined. Link jumped back in the train and continued to Hyrule Castle Town, as he rode Zelda asked timidly

"YOU don't think I'm conceited…d-do you Link?"

"Oh no, of course not!" Link said

"O-OK." Zelda said. Link gave her a reassuring smile and braked when they were at the castle. Link walked over to the castle itself and the guards let him past. Once there, Link went to the training room, he knew the way now.

"Oho! So you've come back, Recruit? Have you been training?" Russell asked

"A bit." Link said.

"Well then, let's have a little training game, shall we?"

"Game?"  
"Yep! The rules are simple: hit my three men there as many times as you can! If you hit them enough times, I'll give you something nice. Want to try?"

"Sounds fun." Link said

"Har har har! That's the spirit! OK, just one last thing before we start."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to need twenty rupees for training costs." Link sighed and gave Russell twenty rupees. He only had two left now. "Ok, begin training!" Russell said when he had his rupees. Link stood in the middle of the room with three guards around him. When Russell counted down from three to zero the fight began. Link was told he was only allowed to get hit three times before it was over. I will not go into detail about the fight. It was very long and boring. Nobody could go their hardest as they were all afraid of hurting each other. In the end, Link managed to get the guards seven hundred and fifty-six times before they could get him three times. The now exhausted Link went back to Russell.

"Hm, 756 times? N-not bad, Recruit…" Russell said. "Here let me give you this in reward for your effort!" Russell handed Link a silver dish with several rubys and sapphires on it. Even Link could tell this would sell for a lot.

"Thank you, captain!" Link said  
"Don't mention it, keep training and come back some day." Russell said. Link nodded and left the castle, heading towards the train station. Link boarded the train and headed to the Tower of Spirits. Link had a feeling where the bridge worker was. After requesting that Anjean turn the tracks, Link headed to the Snow Realm. Only one snowman and two bulbins stood in his way between him and the station. Link killed these with ease and parked the train at the station. Unlike the rest of the realm, which looked like a winter wonderland, this place looked as though it were in spring. There was melted snow all around and the field was grassy. Link spotted the home of what he hoped to be the bridge builder and walked in. Inside was a black man wearing a white bandana with a light blue jacket, working on something or another. He was pounding a piece of wood with a hammer and nails.

"Hey, whaddaya doin' here?" The man asked when he saw Link.  
"You're a bridge person, right? Well I need you to fix a bridge that separates the Forest Realm from the Ocean Realm. A man named Linebeck suggested I ask you." Link said

"What? Ya want me to fix the bridge?" The bridge worker asked. "…All right, let me at it! I got somethin' to tell that Linebeck anyhow. I'm ready to go right now." The bridge worker said ignoring whatever project he was working on when Link came in. "So I'll head to the train, then." Link nodded and walked to the train himself as well. As he went there he saw Ferrus who said

"Aw rats! I was going to ask you to take me to Papuchia Village. But I guess you're already giving the bridge worker a ride huh…well no biggie I'll just walk there."

"Are you sure, Ferrus?" Link asked "I have more room in the passenger car, albeit I may take awhile since I need to do something with the bridge worker."  
"No, no it's ok." Ferrus said "It'll give me a chance to take some killer pics along the way. Oh, but you should know that the bridge worker is super-mega fussy. If you doing ANYHTING wrong he'll jump off the train and yell at you till he's blue in the face. Good luck!" Link nodded and saw that the bridge worker was already in the passenger car. Link was about to climb the train when Zelda grabbed his shoulder to signal him to stop.

"What is it?" Link asked

"Err…well I didn't want to be rude before Link…but it seems like your driving could use some work…" Zelda said awkwardly

"What do you mean?" Link asked

"Well you, um, have a tendency to not listen to the signs…and throw on the emergency breaks like a maniac…" Zelda said, to her surprise though Link laughed.

"Yeah, I know I do that. Alfonzo said it's OK to do as long as passengers aren't aboard or I'm not carrying anything."  
"Oh, is that so?"  
"Yeah, but you know, you're princess and you make the rules. So if you want me to be more careful, I will." Link said

"No, it's OK. I was just worried you didn't know and might upset the bridge worker….wait…there is one thing I want you to do."  
"Yeah?"  
"Can you stop using the emergency breaks so much?" Zelda asked "It hurts my ears…"  
"Oh, OK, sure!" Link said "If it annoyed you, you should have told me, I would have stopped.

"Thanks, Link." Zelda said giving Link a smile

"Oi! Are you ready yet, kid?" The bridge worker asked

"Oh…yeah! Just a little trouble with the train is all!" Link said and started the train. "Oh and we're going to be taking a small detour through the Tower of Spirits as a short cut if you don't mind."  
"OK, kid! But don't linger too long, that dark cloud gives me the creeps!" The bridge worker said. Link nodded and set off to the Forest Realm. Links driving was much better during this ride. He followed every little sign flawlessly up the tower, even with enemies trying to attack him. Link didn't get hit once. It was the same to Linebeck's station as well, ending with Link pulling the gearbox to stop instead of reverse and stopping the train delicately and perfectly at the station.

Link and bridge worker hoped off. "Well look at that! We're here! Ya sure know how to ride those rails kid!" The bridge worker complimented. "A ride like that puts me in a workin' mood. I'm heading straight to the job site!" And with that, the bridge worker headed to the bridge, Link in his wake. The bridge worker inspected it and said "Hmm, yep, this bridge got a number done on it. It's not beyond fixin', though" He added seeing the look on Link's face. "It'll take awhile so go kill some time and come back later." At this point Linebeck showed up

"Ah, the bridge worker! How have you been, good man?"

"Linebeck? Well I'll be! How've ya been, ya old treasure hound?"

"Much better now that you're here! Do me a favor and work your magic on this dilapidated bridge."

"Course, course. Just leave it to me! Shouldn't be a problem. Assumin', of course, that you've got my repair fee on hand. Ya do, right? Ya also still owe me for the work I did on your house. So along with the bridge…hmm I'd say 5,000 rupees oughta cover the bill nicely!"

"Five…THOUSAND?" Linebeck cried "Surely you must be joking!" Linebeck then turned to Link, an evil grin on his face. "Lucky for both of us, this young fellow has kindly agreed to foot the bill. He's the one who wanted the bridge fixed in the first place, after all. All I did was send him your way, friend!"  
"Oh, is that so, little guy?" the bridge worker asked.

"No way!" Link said standing his ground.

"Well, I'm glad we cleared that bit of unsavory business." Linebeck said "Oh, and you'd best get the money ready, squirt. No one likes a bill dodger! Ta ta!" Linebeck said walking off. Link looked at the bridge worker who said

"Eh, I don't care who pays me, so long as I get my 5,000 rupees. I'll go fix that bridge, but that money better be ready for me when I'm done!" the bridge worker left and began working on the bridge. Zelda was shacking; it was hard to tell if it was out of fear or anger.

"Wh-what kind of nonsense is this? 5,000 rupees? That's positively criminal! How can we be expected to come up with that kind of money? Let's go give Linebeck a piece of our minds!" Zelda said. Link nodded in agreement, normally he wasn't the type of person to do this but Linebeck was being ridiculously greedy. Link had no idea what the worth of a rupee was as Alfonzo rarely gave him money, but he knew that Linebeck could afford it much better than he could with all the treasure Linebeck had. Link marched in Linebeck's house and walked up to Linebeck to confront him. However it must have been apparent what Link was going to do for Linebeck had a nervous look on his face and quickly said

"What is it, squirt? Your look a bit worried." And without waiting for an answer Linebeck quickly continued. "Is it because a little kid like you doesn't have 5,000 rupees to drop?"  
"Yeah and because I KNOW you do!" Link said. Linebeck had further angered him by calling him "little kid."

"Well relax. I've got a great idea I'm willing to share with you. We can scrape the moolah together IF you're willing to do a little work for me. Do what I say, and we'll have 5,000 rupees before you know it! What do you say, squirt? Down for a little side work?"  
"Fine…" Link grumbled

"Excellent! Now listen closely, as I only want to say this once. I've heard whispers of high-valued loot that was hidden here long ago."  
"What loot?" Link asked

"What loot you ask? A gem of a treasure known as the Regal Ring! From what I can gather, the thing's got to be worth a cool 8,000 rupees, easy! My grandfather left a letter detailing the rings location shortly before his passing. I've read the clues he gave and looked over, but haven't hit pay dirt…this is where you come in. What say you find the ring and bring it back? Do that, and we'll generate enough rupees to pay off your debt!"  
"My debt?" Link growled.

"Should be a sweet deal for all involved. Are you in?" Linebeck asked.

"I'm in…" Link sighed.

"Fantastic! Here's the letter Gramps left behind, for your reference. Figure out the riddle, get your hands on the Regal Ring, and make us rich!" Linebeck said handing Link his grandfather's letter. Link smiled a bit at this. _**Linebeck said us…am I getting a profit from the leftovers too? **_Link wasn't at all greedy, but he was short on money and nobody would say no to a nice 1,500 rupees or so.

"The ring seems to be near Gramp's grave." Linebeck said "You can get there through the cave to your right as you leave my house. Read the letter and see if you can suss out where the thing is!" Link nodded and left the house; he saw the cave to his right and entered.

"I can't believe him!" Zelda shouted

"Linebeck?"  
"Of course! How dare he tell you to pay that bill! Why, I bet his house is where most of the charge is coming from too! He's lucky you're so nice, because there's no way I would do this for him!"  
"Make no mistake, this isn't for Linebeck." Link said "But I do feel a little sorry for the bridge worker. I'd rather just make this easier for all of us and get the ring."

"And what if you can't?"

"Well….err…if worst comes to worst…I'll just hop aboard my train when the bridge is finished and flee to the Ocean Realm. I'll leave Linebeck here trapped with the bridge worker and he will have no choice but pay up. I know it sounds greedy but it's really the only option I've got."  
"Actually I think that's pretty sensible." Zelda said "That Linebeck is almost as rich as I am; I know he can cough up 5,000 rupees!" Link nodded and read the sign in front of him

_Beware of shield-gobbling monsters up ahead! Those who've lost a shield can produce a shiny new one at Linebeck Trading!_

"Like-likes…" Zelda muttered

"What's a like-like?" Link asked, however his question was answered soon. In front of him was a slimy monster with a giant hole of a mouth, it was red and was leaning forward, sucking in air, trying to get Link. Link jumped back and threw a boomerang at it. Once it was stunned, Link slashed at it with his sword until it was dead. There were two more up ahead, Link killed them both and continued on. To his left were several hoping stones. Link jumped on these and placed a bomb near a cracked block, then retreated. Once it was gone, Link went back and saw a stamp station. Link took out the stamp book and stamped. This one was purple with a picture of Linebeck III, or perhaps more likely an ancestor of his as these stations seemed very old. Link headed up the stairs and found himself outside. It was a grassy area with several trees and leaves on the ground. Link walked up to a slab of stone and read. _Here rests the legendary Captain Linebeck. _

"Hmph, his grandfather was just as conceited…" Zelda grumbled after reading it.

"We must be around the treasure." Link said pulling out the letter Linebeck gave him. Zelda floated behind Link and read it over his shoulder.

_My dear boy,_

_Even though I'm no longer with you, I'm sure your faring well. But just in case you run into some hard times…I've buried the Regal Ring in a safe spot for you to claim. It wouldn't be fun if I told you exactly where, though, would it? Use these clues to find it. _

_1. To enter the hiding spot, sound the light and follow its beam._

_2. Inside, go 4 steps north and six steps west from where the lights cross._

_And that's where you'll discover the treasure! Best of luck to you! Ha HA!_

_ - Linebeck Senior_

"I can't make heads or tails of this…" Link said "How about you, Zelda?"

"Nope, sorry…" Zelda said. "But I DO see another one of those stones—look, Link!" Zelda said pointing. Link turned and saw another rocket stone. Like the ones before it played a melody. Link grabbed the flute and copied it with ease. The stone blasted off and from underneath it came a gray statue. As soon as it rose, it turned blue and set out a beam of light. "Oooh! Look that's the light you need to follow!" Zelda said. Link followed it and saw an island with a switch on it. Link pulled out the boomerang and threw it. Once the switch was hit, a bridge appeared that led to an even more distant island. Link followed the bridge and saw a crack. Link pulled out a bomb and used it on the crack. Once the entrance to the cave was open, Link and Zelda entered. Inside there were two gray crystals on pedestals and octoroks, Link saw a chest at the end of the room and rushed towards it, killing octoroks as he passed. Link opened the chest and to his horror a like-like began oozing out the chest, and once it was free, it ate him. Link slashed within the like-like and was free, just barely managing to keep his shield. Link killed the like-like and yelled  
"What kind of sick joke was that?"

"Ewww…." Zelda said staring at the chest the like-like came from.

"Does this mean…there is no regal ring?" Link asked

"Hang on, hang on. I think Linebeck the first had some more on his letter, reread it." Zelda said. Link nodded and read the second clue. Link then looked at the gray crystals

"Oh…" Link said and played his new song in front of each of them. They both made beams of light that crossed near the end. Link stepped in the middle of this and walked four steps north, then six west. "What do I do? Do I dig for it?" Link asked

"Try the Song of Discovery." Zelda suggested.

"Good idea." Link said and played the song. A stone chest rose from the floor and Link opened it and pulled out its reward. It must have been the Regal Ring; it was a ring and looked like treasure. It was golden and had several small sapphires in it along with a large amethyst jewel.

"It's beautiful!" Zelda gasped examining it. "Yes…I don't know much about treasure but I would definitely pay 8,000 rupees for this…maybe more. Anyway I guess we ought to tell Linebeck we got the ring." Link nodded and left the cave; he headed back to the cave from earlier and exited again. Linebeck was standing outside his house, when he saw Link the two smiled at each other.

"What's that look for? You have a strange twinkle in your eye…why, the devil! You found the Regal Ring, didn't you?"

"Yep!"

"Ha HA! I knew I could count on you to bring home the bacon, squirt! Well? Where is it? Let me take a look at the thing!" Link reluctantly gave Linebeck the ring, fearing he may get ripped off on his share or that Linebeck would keep it and tell him to pay the bill on his own anyway. "Oh, it's just breathtaking! Gramps always had an eye for treasure like this! The weight! The amazing craftsmanship! This beauty's worth a ton, for sure!"  
"Oh, ya don't say! Must be one heck of a ring, then." A voice said. Everyone turned to see the bridge worker.

"You bet it is! It's gotta be worth a cool 8,000 rupees…" Linebeck stopped when he saw whom he was speaking to. "Hey, when did you get here? How long have you been standing there?" Linebeck cried.

"Just came by to let ya know the bridge is all patched up." The bridge worker said.

"Oh? Oh, yes that's right. Wonderful!"

"Sure is! And now that the works done, I'll take that ring as payment!" The bridge worker said snatching it from Linebeck's hands. "So this little doodad's worth 8,000 rupees? Coulda fooled me. Still, beats taking another IOU! If you need anything else, just give me a holler!" And with that the bridge worker left.

"Can you believe he just took off with that ring?" Linebeck asked looking as though he had lost his first born son. "It's worth almost double what I owed! …Crud. I guess that's that. Still you've got a real talent for sniffing out treasure. Ooh! Tell you what—from now on, bring any treasure you find to me! If they impress me, I'll trade you some lovely new train cars for those trinkets! Sound like a sweet deal? That's 'cause it IS! Now get out there and find me something shiny, my little treasure hunter! I can't wait to see what you bring my way! Bye now!" Linebeck said going back into his house.

"Oh, Link! Don't listen to him; he's going to scam you!" Zelda said

"Probably will…and I don't really need a new train when I already have the Spirit Train. Still what else am I to do with the stuff I've found?" Link asked. Zelda didn't answer so Link went to Linebeck's house.

"Hey! There's my little moneymake—erm, intrepid treasure hunter! What can Linebeck Trading Company help you with?"  
"I'd like to sell some treasure—for rupees." Link said.

"Sweeter words have never been spoken! Let's see what you've got for me!" Link emptied his pockets of treasure and Linebeck took a look at them. Zelda sighed as Linebeck paid Link. She wasn't an expert like Linebeck but she knew what Link sold was over twice that value. Linebeck probably did it to make up for the loses of losing the ring…or because he was greedy. Link pocketed the rupees, thanked Linebeck, and left. When Link made it to the station, Zelda sighed.

"Whew! It was no easy task, but we've finally opened a path to the Ocean Realm! Ready to go?"  
"Yeah." Link said hoping on the train and directing it to the east. Link looked nervously at the old bridge and the heavy train he was riding. Link dearly hopped it wouldn't collapse. Luckily for him, however, the bridge worker had done his job correctly and the bridge didn't break. Link was now in the Ocean Realm. _**At least finding the Ocean Sanctuary wouldn't be hard, there are so few tracks. **_Link drove past several palm trees and a station to a village. The tracks were now a few feet over the water. Link smiled as a few dolphins rose above the water jumped playfully. Link turned to Zelda who was also smiling

"Aww! Isn't that cute?" Zelda said as the dolphins jumped.

"Yeah…" Link said as the tracks once again were on land. A station was nearby, remembering his promise to Zelda, Link slowed the train down to a gentle stop at the station.

"Here we are at the Ocean Sanctuary. I wonder what Carben is like." Zelda said. "And I wonder if he'll be on wheels like the other Lokomo…" Link laughed at this

"As of now, that's what I've been using to identify them as Lokomo." Zelda laughed too and Link looked around at the sanctuary. There were all sorts of birds of every kind at the sanctuary. Like the Trading Post where Linebeck was, this was mostly islands, each too far for Link to reach. There was, however, a cave. Link went to this and was met by a strange crab whose life purpose seemed to be standing in front of Link and not letting him pass. It was very fleshy with one very large stone claw and it was roughly Link's size. The crab batted Link away with the claw. Link growled and sent the boomerang at its back. The crab was stunned. Link ran behind it and slashed it. The crab fell. Link entered the cave where another crab stood waiting for him. Link threw the boomerang and beat it just like the last one. Link went forward and to his right, and then took another right. There was a cliff which Link was sure he couldn't jump. Link did see a cracked wall on the other side though, and threw a bomb at it from where he was. The bomb blew up to wall to reveal a switch. Link smiled and pulled out the boomerang once more, he threw it and it hit the switch. A bridge extended for Link to cross. Link took a left and came across another crab. Link killed this one the same as the last two and went up a set of stairs. Link found himself on a grassy X-shaped island with several smaller islands nearby. Link went down a small staircase and saw a red door. A voice spoke

"Follow the gazes of the statues. Trace their paths to open the door." Link looked to his left and saw a statue facing to its upper right. Link took note of this and headed forward. Several projectiles were being shot by octoroks on a different island. Link looked past these at the statue and took note of its direction as well. Link continued forward and saw the last statue of this area facing to its lower left. Link followed this to another statue near the red door facing its upper left. Link continued north to a statue facing its lower left. Link climbed a cliff and took a cucco and flew to an island below him. It had the final statue. Link thought of where they faced and realized they made two diamonds attached together. Link went back to the red door and drew this with his finger. The door glowed and opened. Link went in to the sanctuary. This one was just as fancy as the others, with a stone altar surrounded by water and waterfall…however there was one thing missing—Carben the Lokomo.

"Carben doesn't seem to be here, Link…" Zelda said looking around for him "Hey, whats that?" She asked pointing to the altar where some sort of sign was "Let's check it out!" Link nodded and made his way up the circular altar. The sign read

_I'm at Papuchia Village visiting my sky friends._

_ -Carben_

"It's too bad Carben isn't here." Zelda said. "Let's go to Papuchia Village and look for him there." Zelda said.  
"Papuchia Village?" Link said.

"You passed it on your way to the sanctuary." Link nodded to show he understood and headed out. Link went to his left to one of the islands with a bridge across it. Link took a right and pressed a switch which extended a bridge to where the station was. Link used this shortcut to get to the train. Link jumped aboard and rode back. The ride was eventless, save a few more dolphins showing off for them. When Link saw Papuchia Village, he once again brought the train to a gentle stop.

"Well, here we are in Papuchia Village!" Zelda said happily as though the place meant something to her, and it seemed it did for she continued "I summered here when I was young, but I haven't been here since. Wanna go swimming?" Zelda asked, a smile on her face.

"Do I ever!" Link said sounding a little too excited. Zelda seemed excited too, but suddenly she frowned and said

"Well…I can't exactly do that in my current state…but when I get my body back, we should definitely come back here to swim!" Link nodded and went a little red, feeling hot all over the idea of seeing Zelda in a swim suit. But this also made him very happy; this meant that Zelda still wanted to be friends with him after their adventure was over. Link also couldn't get a strange picture in his head of him and Zelda kissing in the water. "Anyway, let's get going!" Zelda said taking Link out of his fantasy.

"Oh…r-right! Lets!" Link said walking down a narrow path. He noticed .that there were a lot of women in this village and no men. "Err…Zelda what's up with all the girls?" Link asked

"Oh…well for a long time this village has had problems with miniblin pirates." Zelda said "They keep on kidnapping men, for some reason they never seem to touch women. They've been taking the men few at a time…there's only boys now." Zelda said gesturing to a little kid. Link nodded and went to his left. Suddenly something caught their eye "Oh! Look over there, Link!" Zelda said pointing in the sky "That white-haired fellow floating in the air…could he be the Lokomo Carben?" Link looked and saw several large birds carrying bars attached to strings. Sitting on one of these, still on his set of wheels, was an old man with blue and white robes. He had bluish white hair and had an unfocused look on his face. "Carben! CARBEEEEN!" Zelda screamed. Carben made no reply but continued to sit there.

"CARBEN!" Link yelled very loudly. Zelda gasped and turned at Link, she hadn't expected to hear such a loud noise come from such a quiet person.

"He's in some sort of daze and doesn't seem to hear us…" Zelda said watching him. "Maybe the Wise One will know what to do…"  
"Wise One?" Link asked.

"She's a fortune teller in this village." Zelda responded.

"Ehh…I don't believe in fortune telling…" Link said

"That's because you haven't met her."  
"Have YOU ever had your fortune told?"  
"Once when I was a little girl…" Zelda said giggling for some reason. "I remember when she told me I would become a lovely princess and find love when I'm young…she told me my man would be a handsome hero in green…hee hee." Zelda sighed and stared for a moment at Link and turned away, hiding her embarrassment, she couldn't believe she hadn't made the connection before that. Link didn't seem to have been paying attention though and asked  
"Did any of her fortunes come true?"  
"Actually two of the three did!" Zelda said, relieved Link wasn't questioning her more or showing signs of realizing who the prediction was probably referring to. "Anyway it can't hurt can it? The villagers trust her…in fact she's head of the village!"  
"OK, OK…" Link said "It's only because you're smart and I respect you that I'm even bothering though. Don't worry I won't make fun of you when she gives me a load of garbage…now where is she?"  
"Oh she's close by actually, follow me." Zelda said leading Link to a large purple house.

"In here?"  
"Yep."  
"How many rupees?"

"It's free."  
"Oh, good." Link said feeling better about this and entering. The room had a mist around it and two candles and two orbs on either side. There was an old woman. She had many wrinkles, long gray hair, and purple robes. She must have been the "Wise One". As Link stood in front of her she said

"So pleased that you could make it. Of course, the stars foretold your arrival, Link." Link looked at her a little nervously and Zelda beamed at her.

"See? She knows your name!" Zelda said. Link didn't respond. _**I'm just getting famous is all…for fixing the Spirit Tracks…that's all. **_

"How do I know your name, you ask?" The women said even though Link didn't say anything "Eh heh heh…the stars foretold that as well. I know everything, you see. Even things that are yet to happen. I sense your heart is heavy with deep concern. Is that so?"  
"I guess…" Link said

"I thought so…" the Wise One said in her mysterious voice. "Something is troubling you. You don't have to say anything. I already know." Link gulped, Carben wasn't the only thing on his mind when it came to things troubling him…there was Zelda too. What if the Wise One wasn't a phony? What if she really knew what was on Link's mind…the part about Zelda and told him what to do…or what would happen. Zelda would be here and she would realize what was bothering Link, she was smart. _**No…no that's ridiculous…this women's a fake! **_"Do you want me to tell you, your fortune?" The Wise One asked, as if knowing what Link was thinking. Zelda nodded and Link knew it would be fishy if he said no….

"Yes."

"I'm going to ask you some questions, so answer them in a clear strong voice." The Wise One said. Link nodded and he felt half annoyed-half relieved at her first question. "Are you a boy or a girl?" Link nearly laughed. _**Wise One who knows all, indeed! **_Link gave Zelda superior look; Zelda just shrugged and signaled him to answer the question.

"Boy." Link said

"Of course, I already knew that." The Wise One said. "What's your eye color?" Link rolled his eyes and said

"Blue."

"Ah, yes…just like the mother…" The Wise One said "And finally, what is your astrological sign?"  
"Sagittarius." Link said

"Ah yes, the sign of a great thinker…now listen…to the message of the stars!" The Wise One closed her eyes and moved around a bit. The orbs were glowing and Link had to keep himself from laughing once more. _**These effects are very fake! **_The Wise One suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Link with a hard blazing look. Her answer scared and relieved Link. "Below where the sky dwellers gather, near the lonely tree…there is a hidden sound stone that will call him. What you need for today is…courage!" Her prediction wasn't about something random after all; it actually made sense with what Link was trying to do with Carben. Link let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't said anything about Zelda. Link left the house and went back to where they were and stood in front of the tree. Link played the Song of Discovery and a new rocket rock appeared.

"See! See! I told you so, Link!" Zelda said.

"Can't be a little mature about it, can we?" Link said but laughed "But yes, I suppose you proved me wrong…I'm sorry."

"It's OK, now try to play that new song." Zelda said. Link nodded and listened to the rock. Link copied the song without trouble and the rocket flew off again. As soon as the song was played all the birds gathered around Link, including the one with Carben which deposited him on the ground. Instead of sounding relieved or confused, like Link and Zelda expected, Carben sounded angry.

"The nerve! There I was, flying high in the sky, unwinding…then you play the Song of Birds and I come crashing down! Don't you know that song has the power to call birds to you?" Link smiled, glad he now knew another useful song.  
"Well, you weren't at the Ocean Sanctuary and we kinda need you." Link said

"What's that? You say you went to the Ocean Sanctuary?" Carben asked

"It's true and we saw the note that said you were here." Zelda said. "Did you not hear me? I was yelling your name!"  
"Do not be upset. I wasn't just lollygagging, you know." Carben said "I was talking to the birds of the different places they've seen."  
"Oh, I didn't know you were friends with birds, Carben." Zelda said "But never mind that, we're in dire need of your help!"

"Hmph. Let me guess—you want me to restore the Spirit Tracks, don't you?" Carben said. "I was hoping to relax here a little longer, but fine. Take me to the Ocean Sanctuary on your train."

"Alright let's go." Link said and the three of them headed to the train. When Carben was safely in the passenger car, Link was off. As Link crossed the water he saw a ship, it came steadily closer and for some reason Zelda looked nervous, then suddenly she cried

"LINK WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT'S A PIRATE SHIP!" Link gasped and shot the ship with his cannon but too late. The ship placed its front in front of the train to prevent it front moving. "Hurry, go to the passenger car to protect Carben!" Zelda cried. Link nodded and climbed across the train and entered the passenger car. Carben looked pretty scared and started shivering when a miniblin broke through Link's window.

"Oh no! Pirates! Dastardly, kidnapping pirates! You must protect me from them, Link!" Carben cried. Link nodded and took out the miniblin with his sword. It wasn't alone though, another one broke in soon after. Link handled this just as easily. Another broke in, and another, and another, and another. Link slayed them all with ease. Two broke in. Link stayed close to Carben and finished them when they approached. The miniblins now started appearing in twos. Link had no trouble at all. Then three came from one window…now this was getting a little hard. Three more came, then six. "Help! Their closing in on me!" Carben cried. And Link managed to kill them all with a spin attack right before a cage was thrown on Carben. Four came, one from each window. Link stood near Carben and finished these with a spin attack as well. Another wave of four went down. Then came a wave of twelve. Link slashed wildly and furiously at them all. Then there was silence, but this didn't make Carben feel better. On the contrary, he wheeled over to the opposite wall and looked more afraid than ever. Link soon realized why. A new monster had come on. It was purple and had large white scars, it wore strange clothes made from animal skins and had a giant club. It had horrible teeth that looked like the miniblins and big stupid eyes. It looked a bit like a purple troll. What Link noticed was its necklace, the necklace that only the leader of the pirates wore. This was their leader, the bigblin. The bigblin grunted and swung its club for no reason. Link stabbed the creature four times before it retaliated with a slow club swing that Link easily avoided. Link then slashed another nine times.

"What is with this thing?" Link asked Zelda. "My hits…it doesn't even seem to care!" Link dodged another blow of the club and went right back at slashing. Link got it eleven times until it brought its club at him. Link dodged once again. The pattern repeated. Link slashed five, then dodged, slashed six, then dodged, slashed four, then killed a miniblin that snuck on board, then dodged, slashed four, then dodged, five, dodge, seven, dodge. Then finally as Link came back to attack again, it happened. The bigblin brought the club back when Link wasn't expecting it and flew against the wall.

"Are you OK, Link?" Zelda asked  
"Yeah, but what is with this thing? I can't stop it! It doesn't even seem to feel my attacks!"  
"Oh, but you must keep trying!" Zelda insisted.

"I guess I don't have any other choice…" Link said and attacked once more. Seven, dodge, ten, kill a miniblin and watch the other get killed by its leader by accident, dodge, ten, dodge, nine, dodge. Link was gasping for breath. He was very tired. Finally after thirty-two more hits the creature finally fell to the floor, dead.

"Thank you! You really saved my hide there, Link!" Carben said "Well, now that that bit of unpleasantness is over, let's get to the sanctuary!" Link nodded and got back on the train. The boat left and Link continued the short way to the sanctuary and stopped. "Ah, we finally made it." Carben said when they arrived "It was a short distance away, but it felt so far. I suppose mortal peril has that effect on a person. You really must be more careful in the future, Link!" Carben said but smiled and a golden triangle suddenly appeared next to him. It looked the same as those in the temples but it was smaller. "Here this is for you." Carben said. "You look confused. I'll explain, Link." He added upon seeing Link and Zelda's faces. "Every living being possesses an energy…and this energy is similar to the energy that powers the Spirit Tracks. When a person's heart is extremely happy or grateful…his energy levels become particularly strong. Energy lives in the hearts of everyone, even feeble old fellows like me…I don't express it well, but the bottom line is I appreciate your help…here please take this. It belongs to you." Carben said handing Link the force gem. It disappeared in Link's palm and his map glowed. The forest section received new tracks. "Alright I'll be heading to the sanctuary now. See you." Carben said rolling off. Link took off behind him, using the island as a short cut and made it to the red door once more. It was open this time, so Link walked in. This time Carben was here waiting for them.

"Thanks for earlier, Link." Carben said when Link approached him. "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Carben, guardian of the Ocean Realm. You're here to restore the Spirit Tracks, aren't you?"  
"Yes, I am." Link said

"But of course. You've come all this way, so I'll do everything I can to help. Very well then…in order to restore the Spirit Tracks, I'll need your help. You do know about Lokomo songs, don't you?"  
"Yes."  
"I'll teach you your part now, so listen closely! Then play as I played!" Link nodded at this and took out the flute. Carben began to lead him through a three note piece. Link took a long time to learn it because he had to skip a note and it was faster.

"Link, don't stop blowing, just skip really fast to the next note!" Zelda suggested. Link nodded and tried this, it worked better and he was getting the piece down. When Carben decided Link had done enough he stopped

"Excellent! Now how about a real performance?" Carben said.  
"Yeah."Link responded.

"Now don't let my part through you off." Carben said as Link placed the rail map between them. They slowly moved into the duet and Zelda sighed as she listened. When they finished, the Rail Map glowed and more tracks appeared. It was much more noticeable than any of the other realms because of how few it used to have. "A portion of the tracks leading to the Ocean Realm has been restored." Carben said "The Ocean Temple itself, however, resides on the ocean floor. Only a tiny part of it is visible above sea level. To go to the Ocean Temple, you must first head to the ocean floor."  
"Err…can I travel underwater?" Link asked

"What? You're wondering if the train can travel on the ocean floor? How dare you question the spirits' strength?" Carben scolded Link. "The ocean floor is covered in rails so of course you can move freely there! The way to get down there is…blast I can't remember where the entrance is. Oh, yes, now I remember. I knew I might need this information later…that's why I wrote it down for myself, just in case. Here. Take this with you." Carben said handing Link a small note. "I wish you success!" Carben said. Link took out the note and examined it.

_Dear Self,_

_I know you'll forget, so I'm leaving you instructions to get to the ocean floor. _

_ - Carben_

Link turned it over and saw a nicely drawn map of the Ocean Realm with the numbers "1", "2" and "3" across it.  
"What does this mean?" Link asked.

"What's wrong? Having trouble understanding my instructions? I thought you had to do things in a certain order… But it was such a long time ago, I can't remember." Carben said looking confused. Link sighed and left, taking his short cut to the train. Link jumped on and set a route to the "one-spot". Link hadn't bothered asking Carben more because he could only suppose it was very obvious if Carben wasn't telling him. As Link drove he spotted something strange and stopped the train. It was a blue bunny sitting on a barrel.

"Oh…how did you get there little bunny?" Link said pulling out his net and wondering how he was going to get there. Link sighed, there was no other choice than swimming. Link jumped in the water and swam towards the bunny. Link began whistling as he got closer. "C'mere bunny, bunny, bunny, just hope into uncle Link's bunny net and you can join your brothers and sisters on the train…" Zelda giggled at this and the bunny just stared at Link from on top of its barrel. Just as Link was about to place the net on the bunny, the bunny jumped off the barrel. Link and Zelda gasped, but to their surprise the bunny began hoping on the water as if it were land. "Oh no! You're not escaping!" Link said, just barely bringing his bunny net on the rabbit. "ha HA!" Link cried, sounding a little bit like Linebeck. Link swam back with the net over his head and stored this bunny in the train as well. Zelda was still giggly and gave Link a smile. Link smiled too and started up the train, once more. They drove under an arch, and Link was thinking about how he was meaning to test Ferrus' theory but he had yet to find an arch with the crystal above it again. And speaking of Ferrus…

There was clicking noises and there Link saw Ferrus again. "Hey Ferrus!" Link said politely slowing down the train a bit they could chat.

"Soooo! We meet again! I heard the ocean Spirit Tracks had returned, so I came to see for myself. It's just a rumor, but I hear there are even tracks that run under the water…. Oh, and guess what else? Just guess! They say there are sculptures that react to big noises out there too!" Link nodded and was about to ask if these sculptures had anything to do with the underwater tracks but the train was getting farther now and Link just shrugged. If he REALLY needed help, he could just go back. Link rode on, going across another stretch of land and occasionally blowing his whistle for the playful dolphins who seemed to enjoy the sound and would jump more when he blew it. Link came to a third island and stopped.  
"This is where Carben marked his map…" Link said to Zelda. "Do you see anything interesting about this place?  
"No…hmmm I'll check the high places, you check the low, OK, Link?" Zelda said. Link nodded and walked out of the train and explored the tiny island. It wasn't long before Zelda came floating down and said "Look over there!" Link looked and saw a strange statue with a red orb on it. "Maybe it's the sculptures Ferrus was talking about? Go on try making a loud noise—the whistle!" Link hoped back in the train and blew the whistle. For a moment nothing happened; then suddenly the orb turned blue. "Hmmm…not as drastic as I was hoping, but there ought to be three of them. Let's find them all and see what happens!" Zelda said. Link started up the train and off they went. As Link traveled and watched some dolphins perform a dance for Zelda and himself, he saw them again. The pirates were attacking Link once more. Link recognized one of the ships; it looked a lot like the other one. This time they were firing cannons at Link. Link shot his own back and managed to take them all out, but got hit twice. As Link and Zelda made it to the next island they looked for the sculpture

"I can't see it…" Link said.

"Hmm…try blowing your whistle anyway, visible or not it should react." Zelda said. Link nodded and blew the whistle, they heard a strange noise come from beyond the wall. Zelda flew past it and cried "You've done it, Link!" Link smiled and set off to the final area. This area was in the middle of the Ocean Realm but easy to recognize because the place it was in, also had a dead end of tracks. Link drove here, playing with dolphins and going across another stretch of land as he did so. Link then saw the final sculpture in the middle of the water; it was near the dead end. Link blew the whistle and like all the others it turned blue. Suddenly there was a rumbling and a giant stone fish statue rose out of the water where the dead end Spirit Tracks were. Its mouth was open to reveal a dark hole. Link knew he was to go in this, so he directed the train to the hole and entered. Link appeared out of the end of another hole of a similar fish, he was underwater.

There was a large bubble surrounding Link so he could breathe. Zelda looked around in awe. "Wow! It's breathing down here, Link!" Zelda said, moving closer to Link for some reason. She also thought it was a little romantic. Link looked all around in wonder as well. Link could see an endless hole below the tracks, the ocean seemed never-ending. Link could also see the temple up ahead. Link made his way to this but soon found the ocean wasn't only wonders, there were monsters here too. A giant octorok shot ink at the train which just barely missed. Link shot it with several cannon balls which were now torpedoes; it dodged skillfully but soon was vanquished after getting hit several times. Link continued his way to the temple, thwarting several more opposing octoroks. It was as Link made it to the cross roads did it happen, an armored Dark Train appeared and, unlike the others, it seemed to know Link's location at all times and wanted to kill him. Link gasped and used the other fork to take the long way to the temple and avoid the train that was heading towards him. The train was faster "Hurry, Link!" Zelda cried. Link couldn't go faster and out of desperation shot torpedoes at the train, it didn't hurt it at all but it slowed it down very slightly. Link continued at this until they were getting close to the temple. Praying the train wouldn't follow them in there, Link kept shooting torpedoes at the now inch-close train…then finally they made it to the temple. The train didn't follow them.

Phew this might have been even longer…hope you enjoyed.


	13. Ocean Temple

Link slowed the train to a stop and jumped out. Unlike everything else, the Ocean Temple was dry.

"So here we are at the Ocean Temple…" Zelda said "You're ready to go in, right, Link?" Zelda asked

"Definitely."  
"OK then! Onward!" Zelda said. Link headed to the only door in the room and entered. There were two narrow paths, one of which had boulders falling on it and rolling down. Link avoided this and took the left path. This had several yellow ChuChus.

"Know anything about these?" Link asked not wanting to make the same mistake with these as he did with the ice ChuChus.

"I think they are electrified…there are two types of electric ChuChus I think…um, I think the yellow ones stop being electric for some periods of times, I would attack them then." Zelda said. Link looked at the slow yellow creature and saw that it had electricity flowing through it. Link slashed it when he couldn't see the electricity anymore. Link didn't get hurt and the ChuChu was dead. There was another and Link used the boomerang this time, remembering how it helped defeat the ice ChuChus. When it was stunned, Link brought it down. There were four slabs of stone here, each with some similar text on it

_The second is above here._

_The third is above here._

_The first is above here. _

_The fourth one is above here._

"Hmm I suppose there's something we need to do in a certain order…" Zelda said floating over to these and reading them. "Whatever it is, it will need to be done from the left, then the right, then up, then down."  
"Mind trying to remember that?" Link asked "I may forget what with everything else I need to do in here. And anyway I have a terrible memory."  
"Sure thing, Link!" Zelda said.

"Thanks," Link said spotting a small hallway in this room and heading in that direction. There was a small gun on the wall loading with an arrow. The floor in front of it was a different shade of blue. Link foolishly continued walking and the gun shot at him.

"LINK!" Zelda screamed. Link turned just in time to block an arrow with his shield. Giving a shaky laugh Link continued and spotted three more guns. Link took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could through these. All of the arrows missed. Link began walking again and headed to his left at a hallway and went up the stairs, Zelda floating behind him and singing "Left, right, up, down…" quietly. The next room also had a hallway. Link walked to a large cliff, floating there was a large block. Link hesitantly stepped on it, and to his surprise it began slowly moving. "Link!" Zelda said pointing to the wall. Link saw the gun and faced it with his shield. The gun shot an arrow which knocked Link back a bit, but didn't hurt him. There were several more guns. Link stepped forward so he wouldn't fall off. Link hoped off at the other side when the block stopped and saw an identical block and deep abyss below. There were guns everywhere and Link was getting nervous as he stepped on. However, none of the guns shot him. In the middle were several purple switches.

"Oh, this must be it! Now what was the ord—"

"Left, right, up, down…" Zelda sang brightly. They gave each other a smile and Link directed the boomerang at the switches in Zelda's said order. Once hit, the door on the other side of the room opened. Link stepped off the block and went past it. Down a hallway were several boulders going in small hole. Link was safe for now. There was a switch in a nook to his left and Link slashed it. A bit of floor slid to where the hole was and the boulders streamed past. Link was now trapped. Link hit the switch again and the hole appeared once more. "What's the point of filling up the hole?" Zelda asked "This must be here for a reason…"  
"To stop the boulders from getting me on the first floor." Link said

"Oh! That's an idea! But…how are you supposed to escape once the switch is activated?"

"Hmmm…" Link though for a moment, and then smiled. Link ran back to where he started and threw the boomerang where the switch was. The hole filled itself once more and Link was safe as the boulders came.

"Brilliant, Link!" Zelda cheered. Link grinned and backtracked to the floating blocks, blocking and dodging the arrows that shot out at him. When Link made it back to the fork from before, he went to where the boulders once were. Link saw a large vine with thorns sticking out; preventing him for accessing whatever was beyond it, instead he looked to his left and saw a staircase. Link climbed this and saw a yellow ChuChu. Link used the boomerang and slashed it. There was another right behind it; Link killed this the same way. Link saw several wooden pegs sticking out of a wall but no means to actually cross a large gaping hole on the floor. Link turned to the remaining staircase and climbed. Link saw to his right a circular room with three close doors. When Link entered the fourth closed behind him. In this room was a fat bright blue bird creature. It wore a black mask and had a whip. The whip was brown and has a snake-like head on the top. The creature swung this a few times and slashed it at Link, the snake head bit onto Link's leg. It didn't hurt, but Link was trapped. Link attempted to run away but the bird-thing brought him back casually and punched Link as he flew towards it. Link fell to floor and got back up again. Link chose a new tactic and tried stabbing the creature, but every time he got closed, the bird would flick the whip and Link would be facing another direction. The bird then tugged Link back and punched him once more.

"Link!" Zelda cried. Link held his sword and began to run away once more, but right before he was pulled back, Link turned around. Link flew face-first at the creature and stabbed the bird-thing before it could punch him. The creature had lost its hold on Link. Link smiled and dodged the whip that the creature kept trying to hit him with. Link then stabbed the creature several more times. Link held his shield up to block another whip attack, but to his surprise the creature's whip took the shield right out of Link's hand and threw it across the room. Link quickly stabbed the creature once more. Link dodged the whip again and struck the final blow. The creature gave a moan and fell to the floor, dead. Link gave a sigh of relief and retrieved his shield. Link then took the whip the bird had wielded.

"Oh…I hate whips…" Zelda moaned.

"I'm not too fond of them either, but it may be useful." Link said examining the whip. There was a button on the handle that made the snakes mouth close. The doors all around Link opened. Link looked to his left and saw another wooden peg sticking out of the wall. Link whipped it and held the button at the right timing. The snake's mouth closed and Link tugged. It seemed to be a good hold. Link gulped and jumped across the gap, hanging on to the whip. Link let go of the button on the other side and landed safely. "See? Useful." Link said pocketing the whip and heading through a staircase. Link saw a stone slab and read

_Three handles sit before you. Pull only the one farthest from your grasp. _

Link headed to his right, past a closed door and saw another wooden latch. Link whipped across the gap once more. Link spotted a yellow ChuChu and whipped it until it was dead. Link spotted another sealed door, and to its right, a fish with some sort of lever in its mouth. It was on the wall across a small hole. Link pulled out the whip and grabbed the switch with his whip and pulled. There was a noise and the fish turned a little yellow. The door to Link's left then opened. The next room had three fish on the wall to Link's right. Each had a narrow path leading to them. Link took the one farthest to his right.

"Good thinking, that path is the shortest and therefore the farthest." Zelda said

"What?" Link asked

"The clue…weren't you thinking of that when you made your choice."  
"Oh…actually I thought this was farthest from my grasp when I entered the room because it was farthest right…but yeah I think the puzzle was referring to what you said. Oh well I guess I sorta got it right though." Link said pulling the switch from my fish's mouth. The fish turned yellow and a bridge appeared for Link to cross. Link crossed the bridge and took a staircase. Link went to his right and saw a gap between him and the room he got the whip. There was nothing to get there by. Link ignored this and continued to his right. Here there were two fish statues. One looked normal, but the others mouth was empty and it kept on turning with Link, moving its mouth as if asking for food. Link pulled the switch of the first one…although…it wasn't a switch. Instead a sword came out, and Link instinctively threw it into the other fish. When this happened, a chest appeared and a stack rose from the ground, giving Link a way back to the whip room. Link opened the chest, which contained a key and whipped back to the whip room. Link looked around at the four areas; there was only one he had not been to. Link continued forward and whipped across. Link went to this left and after unlocking a door, headed up a staircase. To Link's right was a fish switch. Link pulled the switch which opened a door that would lead him back in the temple. Link saw several wooden pegs to his right and gulped, he would have to jump from one to another. Link set the whip out on one and let go of the button when he was on the other side and facing another wooden latch. Link quickly flicked the whip while he was still falling and pressed the button. He repeated this on the final latch and gave a sigh of relief when he was on the ground again.

"You…scared me, Link…" Zelda said holding her chest.

"Yeah…heh that was pretty scary." Link admitted and headed into the next room. The door closed behind him and Link saw a new type of ChuChu, it looked like a normal red one, but it was wearing some sort of helmet. Link slashed at it, but his sword swings were ineffective. Link then jumped back as the ChuChu tried to jump on him and he took out the whip. Link latched on to the helmet and threw it off the creature. Link then charged at it and stabbed. The ChuChu fell and Link turned his attention to an identical one. When this too fell, the doors opened and Link took a staircase up. Link saw a wall of fish, some having swords in their mouths, others being empty. Link ignored this and continued to his left where he saw another bird creature with a whip. When its back was turned, Link quickly whipped it, and then stabbed. The creature didn't have enough time to respond to this before it was dead. However another bird-thing that was there did notice. It turned to Link and hooked its whip on him. Link whipped the creature when this happened and then stabbed him too. The bird-thing fell at Link's feet. Link began exploring the four paths. There was one where he came from, one on the same side but lower. One to the upper left and one to the lower left. Each of these had fish of the walls. Link saw a strange machine and pulled the switch to it. Suddenly a flying handle that had propellers appeared and Link grabbed it. It flew Link across a gap where the propeller wore out and Link dropped next to an identical machine. Link had a feeling it was to take him back and went up a nearby staircase. Link headed to his left and a door closed behind him. There were two new ChuChus here. Both were blue and there was a fish with a sword in its mouth nearby.

"Oh….I think these ones never lose their electricity…" Zelda said. Link began whipping these creatures but for some reason the whip didn't seem to hurt them. Instead Link whipped the sword out of the fish's mouth and with a flick of the whip threw it at a ChuChu. Link grabbed the sword again and threw it at the other one. Both were now gone. The door reopened and Link heard a distant noise. He was sure he had done something good. Link went back down the staircase and used the machine to return to the main area of the floor. Link went back to where he first entered and saw a vine much like the last one. Link pulled the whip out and grabbed the thorns off the vine and threw them across the room. Link saw a stone slab which read

_Three blades sit in a row. Retrieve them all, and the path may open._

Link ran back to the first machine and saw the three blades the stone must have been talking about. Link pulled them all out with the whip and threw them away. Link heard a rumbling near the stone slab and investigated. Several wooden latches had appeared. Link swung on these and crossed over, going higher and higher each time.

Link finally made it to the top and went up a staircase. The next room also had wooden latches. Link whipped these across the room, yet was caught off guard and nearly fell at the fifth latch which was a lot lower than the others. Thankfully, Link made it. On the other side was purple switch, which Link hit. This caused a new latch to appear, giving Link a way to come back when he was done. Link headed to his right and killed a helmet ChuChu. For a moment Link thought he was in the same room as before, there were fish all over the wall with swords in, and some without. The only reason Link knew this was different was because there was a large door that would require a big key and a stone slab nearby. Link read the slab which said

_Remember the placement of the blades. That knowledge will be useful in another, similar, room. _

Link took out a piece of paper and quill and began moving around the room taking note of the blades, Link used lines for those with swords, and dots for those without. After dodging a blue ChuChu, Link realized that the top rows of fish were exactly the same. None, none, sword, none, sword. Link went to the area that would normally hold three on the other floor, but held none here. Link saw another vine and took the thorns off of it and saw a new fish. Link pulled the level and heard a soft noise to his right. Link backtracked and saw a chest had appeared. Once opened, it turned out the chest contained a pirate necklace. Link went to the lower east section of the room, the final part. After taking note that only the middle fish didn't have a sword, Link killed a blue ChuChu and looked up. A wooden latch was here that could take Link across an abyss. Link whipped the latch and ended up on the other side with a chest. The chest contained a key, feeling accomplished, Link went back to the wooden latches. Link swung across these until he was back at the lower floor. Link swung to the other side with the wooden ledges in this room and began arranging the blades in this room to match the blades from the other one. When Link made sure the top sections each had a blade in the middle and a blade at the far right, and that the lower right had no blade in the middle, and that the lower left had no blades, Link heard the rumbling of a door opened south of where he stood. Link went past this and saw a locked door and opened it with his key. When the door was opened, Link headed in and latched on to the wood on his right and climbed a set of stairs. Link went past the a door and up a staircase. Link saw a propeller machine to his right and activated it. Link grabbed on to the propeller and waited until it was hovering over some moving blocks, at this point Link let go and landed right on one. Link was now next to the big key and a floor switch. Link stepped on the floor switch and a bridge extended. Link picked up the key and began crossing the bridge. The door was only ten feet from him. As soon as Link crossed the bridge though, three of the shadowy hands appeared. Link threw the key and killed all the baited hands and quickly picked up the key again. Link managed to throw the key in the door just as the hands were reforming. Link gave a sigh of relief as the hands disappeared and he entered the now lowered door up the staircase. Link headed to his left and whipped up a latch to the upper part of the floor and read the stone slab which as always said:

_Step into the blue light to return to the temple entrance._

Link ignored the blue light and used the whip to rip the thorns off a weed prevented him from heading further. Once these were gone, Link headed upstairs. Link saw that he was now on the outer upper part of the temple which was visible for the surface. He was standing on a winding ledge that led up, no sooner had Link noticed this, when the door shut behind him. Link ignored this and latched on to wood on his left and swung to the other side. Link saw three more latches here and whipped on these to the other side as well. As soon as Link made it to the other side he heard a high-pitched roar come from some unknown monster. Link looked up and saw some strange pink liquid rain down at him. Link dodged this and looked at the next wood latch. It was being guarded by a spiky tentacle with an eye. Thinking quickly, Link whipped one of the spikes on the tentacle and flicked it at the eye with his whip. The eye turned red and the tentacle retreated. Link climbed up four latches and moved to the next latches on the other side, as soon as he approached, a new tentacle appeared. Link defeated this one the same way as the last, while dodging more pink acid from the creature, and climbed up three latches. Link saw a propeller machine and used it. Link grabbed the propeller and flew to the top. He was floating above a large pond with a spotted pink think inside it. The thing floated up to reveal a green spiky squid. It had a purple mouth and weird pink things all over its head. It was also quite large, even larger than the bug they faced at the Forest Temple. The creature gave a high-pitched roar and slapped the ground. The ledges Link climbed to get up there fell down to the ocean floor. Link dropped to the area the creature was at as it rested its tentacles on the sides. Suddenly small green guns arose from the creatures head and from each one came the pink acid. Thinking quickly, Link dodged the acid and grabbed a thorn from one of the tentacles and threw it at the pink things on the monsters face. The pink patch disappeared and the creature shot more pink fluid, which Link dodged and Link got another thorn and threw it at the creatures face again. This revealed a large yellow eye. Link dodged more fluid and threw a final spike at the eye. The creature roared and fell on its side. Link ran up and slashed its eye once more. When the creature had enough it hid in the water and two tentacles arose. The monster slapped the ground four times. Link only got hit once. The creature arose itself and shot more pink liquid at Link. Link dodged it and managed to get two thorns in its face. Once its eye was revealed, Link shot another thorn just as it shot more liquid. Link ran at the stunned creature and stabbed its eye a few more times. The squid hid in the water and sent out two tentacles again. Link dodged each of these easily and the squids head arose once more. This time the other two tentacles were still with it. Two on either side of Link and two above its head. Link plucked a thorn and shot it at the monsters head just as pink liquid came. Link gasped as he got hit by a bit of it and shot another thorn at the creature. The tentacles slapped, one slap per tentacle, then they slapped together. This hit Link and he flew off the edge.

"LINK!" Zelda gasped and floated to where he fell…or at least he seemed to fall. Link was dangling by one hand over the cliff. He gave Zelda a small smile and placed his other hand on the cliff. Zelda instinctively offered hers, but Link shook his head. This reminded Zelda she was a spirit. Zelda hated seeing this, she felt so powerless right now as Link struggled to get back on. With a sudden lift of his foot, Link was back in the battle. The squid roared, it seemed to have thought, like Zelda, that Link fell off the cliff. Link shot a final spike at the creature's eye and its head fell to the side. Link delivered the final blow and the creature gave a roar of fury as it fell over and exploded. A blue triangle came from where the creature once was. The machine rose from the water and the triangle perched itself on the pedestal, a light shone forth and new tracks appeared. The tower connected another piece once more. Now there was only one left.

"Way to go! You did it, Link!" Zelda cheered giving Link a smile. "Come on; let's get back to the Tower of Spirits, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded and headed into the blue light. Link was at the train station once more. Link walked to the train and hoped on, heading towards the Tower of Spirits.

Yes, I know you need the whip to use those propellers, but once again I feel that Link shouldn't need to. By the way there's something I've wanted to ask. I've read several Zelda fanfics that are like this one and simply an enhanced version of the original game they are about. However there's something that I do that most of these don't (in fact I haven't read one that has done it), that is giving a detailed chapter of a dungeon. Every single one I have read has skipped over the dungeon by giving a very brief description. While your opinion will not make me skip these in the future (that's inconsistent so therefore I won't) I was wondering what you thought of these dungeon chapters. Please review =D


	14. Byrne

Link was on the surface once more, riding the rails to the Tower of Spirits. It wasn't long before pirates started attacking. Link easily took care of these and continued. A few dolphins appeared and jumped playfully for Link. Link blew his whistle for fun and they danced at this. Link continued and more pirates attacked

"Phew, there are a lot of pirates here, huh?" Zelda said, Link sighed and nodded in agreement to this. One of the pirate's bombs got him, but Link managed to defeat them with ease other than this. Link passed a desert and came close to the tower. Link turned around when he heard Zelda sigh. She was sitting on the passenger car with her head on her hand staring at Link.

"What's up?" Link asked

"Oh….n-nothing!" Zelda said. In truth she had been staring at Link and admiring the way his hair blew in the wind, as well as some other very girly thoughts such as when she may marry Link or what she would name their kids, she had decided on Rinku and Zelda. She entertained a fantasy which featured a six and a half foot, muscled Link riding the whip and saving her from a falling tower which collapsed just as Link pulled her off. The fantasy ended with Link kissing her. She wondered how fast her heart would be beating around him if she had a body. She was also wondering how she would get Link to admit he liked her if he did. She thought some more of her feelings for him and sighed as she realized this may be more than just a _little _crush. "J-just a little bored is all…" Zelda said, and then suddenly Zelda gave a yelp as Link pulled on the emergency breaks and Zelda was thrown forward a bit.

"Having fun now?" Link asked her jokingly.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry!" Zelda said realizing she had probably offended Link, even if what she said wasn't true. Link smiled and slowed the train down when he finally made it to the tower and headed towards Anjean.

"Anjean! The Spirit Tracks between here and the Ocean Realm have reappeared!" Zelda said.

"Yes, nicely done! Now there is but one temple left until all the tracks are restored. Once they are we'll be able to enter the altar of the Demon King. Just one more step!"  
"To get to the temple, do we have to go to a new realm?" Zelda asked even though she knew the answer was "yes".

"Yes, the next temple is hidden in the mountain of fire. But first, go reclaim the rail map that will restore the way to the next realm!"

"Lets go, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded and went to the long staircase. Link ran up the stairs until he made it to the last door. When he finally made it, he stopped for a moment and said

"Phew…this staircase is getting pretty long, huh?" Zelda looked down to the entrance and nodded

"I'm glad I don't have to climb this…" Zelda said. Link chuckled and entered the door. "We've made it to a new level. I wonder what's in store for us…we've defeated so many enemies; There's nothing that can stop us now! Right, Link?"  
"Err…go us!" Link said. Zelda beamed at him

"That's the spirit! Now that's how a hero should sound!"  
"Um, thanks."  
"You're welcome. Now, let's go!" Link nodded and set off to his right. There he saw a lit and unlit torch. Link used the boomerang to light the unlit one and heard the noise he now could recognize as a chest appearing. Link continued and took a left, there was a blue Phantom patrolling. Link waited for it to pass and continued, spotting a glow, meaning there was a Tear of Light. Link ran past a small floating round blue thing and entered the safe zone with the tear. As soon as he was in eye sight of the blue thing (which looked like an eye) it started making a beeping sound. It couldn't follow Link into the safe zone but he knew what the beeping meant and gasped. For suddenly the blue Phantom appeared out of thin air. The Phantom looked around a bit for an intruder, then gave up and walked off again. "You…better avoid those…" Zelda said as it passed. Link nodded shakily and whipped the eye. It was weak and vanished immediately. Link headed forward and hit a switch in a safe zone. Link heard the sound of a bridge extending. Link then went right and took a quick left and went up some stairs. There were three fish here. One had a sword in its mouth. Link grabbed the sword with the whip and threw it into the mouth of the right fish and heard the sound of a chest appearing. Link then stepped off the stairs and claimed the chest he made appear earlier. It contained a key. Link climbed the stairs again and looked at the wooden latches sticking out of the wall. Link whipped across these onto another high ground area. There was another immediately after to his right, and two after that, to his left. Link flew across these and headed to his right. He saw the glow of another Tear of Light and latched on to another piece of wood and flew to this. Link collected the second tear, an eye saw him and Link hid awhile in the safe zone before backtracking back to the entrance, avoiding the eyes and Phantom as he went. Link went to his left from the start and climbed a set of stairs and a bridge. Across the bridge was a chest which contained a key. Link now had two. Link opened a door to his left which needed a key. Inside was a switch. Link hit it and it turned green, there was a fast ticking and it turned purple again. Link didn't know what he was supposed to be doing so ignored it along with the other closed door near it. He could not open that one, because it was simply sealed shut and would not be opened by a key. Link searched the room for another door, keeping an eye out for other eyes and Phantoms. Link finally found one at the top right corner of the room; Link unlocked it and headed upstairs. Link went forward and took a right at a hallway with a safe zone. There was a corner; Link threw the boomerang behind it for he saw a flash of the blue eye. When it heard it connect, Link ran and slashed the eye. Link saw a small square area with a square wall in the middle of it. Another eye floated past here and spotted Link. Link quickly shook it off and killed it, but a Phantom appeared. Link hid behind a wall and the Phantom eventually left. Link saw it again, guarding a safe zone that contained a Tear of Light. Link threw his boomerang at the opposite wall and heard the clanking of the Phantom as it came to investigate. Link ran behind it and collected the tear. His sword glowed golden and Link hid in the safe zone, waiting for the Phantom to come back. Once it was back, with its back exposed to him, Link stabbed it and said

"He's all yours Zelda!" Zelda smiled and possessed the Phantom.

"Hey, check it out! I'm a Warp Phantom now! Hee!" Zelda stood still for a moment as if thinking of something, and then she continued. "You know those eyeball monster things? They're Phantom Eyes, I can see everything they see. I think Phantoms can teleport wherever these things are…oh! And they come back whenever we defeat them, so you don't have to worry about one disappearing. That sounds sooooo nice! I'll never have to walk anywhere again!" Link laughed and asked

"Do you want to try it out, then?"  
"Sure! Meet me near the entrance; I can see one near a chest! There's a switch nearby which will open the door for you. See you there!" And with a twirl Zelda was gone. Link ran back, not bothering with the Phantom eyes as the only Phantom in the area was on his side. Once he made it back he saw Zelda outside a newly opened door.

"Thanks, Zelda." Link said entering the door and opening the chest, which contained some Goron Amber.

"We should head back to the other floor, now and see what I can find." Zelda said. Link nodded and they headed back downstairs. When they were downstairs, Zelda closed her eyes for a moment

"Hmm…I see a switch…it's like the one you pressed and it's very close to it, but it's separated by a wall. I will go here, and you can press the other switch again." Zelda said and twirled once more Link headed back to the other switch and called out to Zelda  
"I'm here!"  
"Together, 1, 2, 3, GO!" Zelda cried and together they hit their switches and the door separating them opened. Link rejoined Zelda and climbed up a set of stairs with her. Link and Zelda headed to their right down a hallway when suddenly a blue ChuChu appeared.

"This one is all yours." Link said remembering that Zelda could hold electric keys.  
"With pleasure!" Zelda said and stabbed the ChuChu with her huge sword. They took another right and then a left. Another ChuChu appeared. Zelda destroyed it and they found a pit of sand nearby. Link stepped on a floor switch next to the sand but nothing happened. Link shrugged and walked across the sand. Zelda walked behind him, and then screamed "I'M SINKING!" Link gasped and turned around. Zelda was falling down the sand fast; Link dove on top of her which barely brought her out the sand. "Phew…th-thanks, Link." Zelda said

"No problem…good thing you were only up to your knees."  
"Yeah…I'm sorry but you're going to have to continue without me…"  
"No problem…just stand on that switch in case I need you on it later." Link said. Zelda nodded and stood on the switch while Link crossed the sand. Link didn't have far to walk though. There was another floor switch right to his left. Link stepped on this and a bridge formed in the sand. Link went back to Zelda and said "I think you can cross now!" Zelda nodded and went to the sand. She tapped her foot in the bridge as if she were a swimmer testing the waters temperature. She did not sink. Zelda walked across with Link and saw a row of spikes. Zelda crossed this with ease and said from over the spikes.

"There's some sort of floor panel with a circle here…oh, and its glowing!" Zelda added when she stepped on it. Link went to his right and found a gray panel; it also had a red circle on it. Link instinctively stepped on it and suddenly found himself over the spikes.

"Woah!" Zelda said "We switched places, I think!"  
"Come back over the spikes!" Link shouted for Zelda to hear. Link heard clanging which meant Zelda was doing as he told her. Link looked to his right and saw two fishes on the wall. Link pulled the sword out of one and put it in the other and the door to his right opened. Link and Zelda headed up the stairs through this door. They were in a room with several different floor panels. One had a circle like the last, the other had a yellow triangle, and the last had a blue square. Zelda went to her left over a row of spikes and eventually Link heard her yell

"The yellow triangle switch is over here! I'm on it!" Link nodded to himself and stepped on the other and the two switched places.

"C'mon, Zelda!" Link yelled

"No use! There was sand over there, so I can't cross it!" Link sighed and headed forward, dodging a blue ChuChu Zelda forgot to slay and saw the sand. Link crossed the sand with ease and saw a geozard. Link pulled out his whip and with a smile, snapped the geozards shield off and began to attack it. The geozard soon fell and Link saw a pair of doors. He and Zelda would need to work together to open those. Link moved to his left and saw two floor switches and a block. Link pushed the block on one of the switches and stood on the other himself. "The spikes disappeared!" Zelda yelled.

"There's the blue square panel over here!" Link yelled back "Step on it and trade places. There's a door I need help with on the other side! You step on the switch so I can cross the spikes and we will work together to open to the door!"  
"OK, Link!" Zelda said. For some reason she liked the way Link said "we will work together." Link stood on the blue square panel and suddenly found himself in a different area. After five seconds the spikes came down and Link crossed over the sand once more and headed towards Zelda who was still on the switch.

"C'mon, Zelda!" Link said leading her to the door.

"Heave ho!" Zelda grunted as they pushed it open. Inside was a chest, which, once opened, turned out to contain a key.

"I suppose we will be needing this later." Link said pocketing it. Link and Zelda went off a highish ledge as a short cut back to where they started. The two went the other way this time, except there was a giant gap separating them from the other side.

"I see something past this…" Zelda said and with a twirl teleported. Later, Link saw Zelda poking her head on the other side of the sand saying "Link, could you get that switch with your boomerang? I think it might help." She pointed to a purple switch a few feet over the quicksand. Link nodded and threw the boomerang across the sand which extended a bridge for Zelda to cross. "Thanks!" Zelda said as she crossed it. She stepped on one of the two switches on the other side, then the other. Neither did anything. Zelda skipped past the area full of rolling boulders and went past the spikes into a different room. There was a blue ChuChu here and Zelda killed it. She spotted a circle panel and called "Link I found a circle panel! Go on the other one and switch places!" Link didn't answer but soon Zelda found herself in a new place and called. "I'll come back to get you out of there…somehow!" Zelda warped again and headed towards Link. She spotted a new switch near him and pressed it. The spikes were gone and she allowed Link to get out before stepping off.

"Now what?" Link asked "Should I cut myself with the spikes or get ran over by the boulders?"

"Oh come on, Link! You have some Phantom muscle to prevent that!" Zelda said flexing her arms and kissing them, or rather moving her helmeted head on each arm.

"Those aren't YOUR muscles, Zelda." Link said.

"Oh, be quiet Link!" Zelda said with giggle and stood in front of a boulder and stopped it. Zelda continued forward, pushing the boulders out of her way and letting Link past. "You're just jealous that I'm stronger than you!" Zelda added when they were free of boulders. Link looked at Zelda and had a feeling that she was sticking her tongue at him from under her helmet.

"Well come on, you big muscle head!" Link said teasingly and the two stepped on the switches Zelda stepped on earlier, with both of them a bridge extended. They stepped off and went back to the other bridge from before and across the sand. Zelda killed the Phantom Eye before it spotted Link and watched as Link crossed the bridgeless sand and saw two switches.

"I need you to press a switch but…" Link didn't finish, they both knew Zelda couldn't cross. The two thought this over for a moment when suddenly the Phantom Eye reappeared and started beeping at Link. To both their surprise, two Warp Phantoms appeared just as Link killed the creature. Luckily for Link and Zelda, Link had hidden himself and Zelda managed to convince the Phantoms it was a false alarm. They warped back to wherever they came from. Link and Zelda gave a sigh of relief

"Sorry, Link." Zelda said "I didn't think they would be here…yes now I see them, they are beyond several walls on this floor. There are two of them and they are waiting for something like that to happen. There was silence for a moment, Zelda staying where she was, and Link backed up a few paces so the Phantom Eye wouldn't see him if it reappeared. Suddenly Link snapped his fingers.

"I have an idea, Zelda!" Link said.

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"Don't hurt the Phantom Eye when it reappears. This time I will use it and stand on the sand. The Phantoms will appear and sink in the sand, now they may be stupid but they will realize they can warp out. They will need to use a different Phantom Eye or they will sink again. They will wait for me to leave the sand, and when I do, YOU warp to me. I'll quickly kill the Phantom Eye and hide on the sand in case they warped to the eye fast enough. If not, we just press the switches! And I'm sure the Phantoms will just think you're trying to get me as well!" Link said

"Link, you're a genius!" Zelda cried. "…But wait…it does sound risky…please be careful." Zelda warned.

"I will, Zelda, I promise!" Link said giving her a wink. This reminded Zelda strangely of her grandmother who would often give her a similar wink.

"OK, Link…" Zelda said. They waited for the Phantom Eye to appear, then suddenly Link ran at it and then at the sand. The Phantom Eye followed him beeping. The Phantoms appeared, and then sank in the sand. Link went to the other side and Zelda warped there. She was with Link. Zelda killed the Phantom Eye and the two waited for a bit. No Phantoms came, they weren't fast enough. Link and Zelda stepped on the switches and the two heard the sound of a door opening to their right. "See ya there!" Zelda said with a wink and was gone. Link walked to the door and opened the locked one behind it. Link and Zelda walked up the staircase to the next room. There were three ways to take. One was blocked by a door, and the other two were blocked by spikes. Link read a stone slab nearby.

_Move from the green tile to the red tile. Your path will form a special symbol._

"I see the tiles…" Zelda said warping, however after a minute of nothing happening she came back. "Nothing happened. I suppose I need to do it in a special way. I see a Phantom…" Zelda added and with another twirl, she was gone. She questioned a Phantom about the tiles and its response was

"THE PATH I'M WALKING HAS A SPECIAL MEANING." Zelda watched the Phantom walk until she realized how to do it and warped back to the tiles. The tiles were fenced in except for a small opening near the green tile. Zelda stepped on the green tile, which turned red and began walking south, and then she headed north east, then west until she was back where she started. Finally she headed directly to the red tile. Once pressed all turned blue and showed her an arrow.

"The door opened!" Link called. Zelda walked back to Link and together they headed in the door. The two smiled as they saw that this was the rail map room. Zelda left her Phantom and Link's sword stopped glowing. Link walked up to collect the map, once he did, it fused with the others to assemble the full rail map. New Spirit Tracks appeared, more than the Ocean Realm. Link turned around when he heard Zelda's giggle. She gave him a smile and a wink. Link and Zelda high-fived each other on a job well done, Link had to jump a little bit to reach the floating Zelda. Suddenly, both became wide eyed when they heard the familiar, bored voice say

"So this is your handiwork, is it?" There was a flash of purple and a familiar foe appeared—Byrne. "Restoring the Spirit Tracks…rebuilding this tower…you two were behind it all, weren't you?" suddenly Byrne leapt close to them with surprising skill. Zelda floated behind Link and grabbed his shoulders. She was scared, he had said "you two" which meant he could see and hurt her. Link wasn't feeling to brave either, he was stronger than before and had a sword, but this was the man who beat Alfonzo with ease. Not only would Link have to have surpassed Alfonzo, he would have to have surpassed him greatly—a man who spent most of his life training with the sword. But there was still Zelda to think about, Link swore to himself that he would not let her be harmed again. "It didn't have to come to this, you know." Byrne said "If you'd just minded your own business…"

"Protecting Zelda is my business…" Link said more bravely than he felt. But Byrne did not care for this, he raised his metal gauntlet and was about to strike when another familiar voice came.

"Stop, Byrne." It was Anjean. She stood at the doorway and wheeled herself over to them. "I always suspected this day would come. Indeed, I had a premonition the day you left the tower. It took Link and Zelda a moment to figure this out, then suddenly when they looked into each other's eyes they understood: Byrne was a Lokomo too. "No matter how many times I corrected your behavior; you never were good at listening, were you? You were an unworthy apprentice." Byrne didn't say anything but just stared at Anjean. His expression was unreadable. "And now look at you. How can I face the spirits of good?" Anjean shook her head as if in disgust. "The spirits sent us here to continue their work! That you would try to resurrect the Demon King…it's unfathomable to me."  
"Hmph…" Byrne walked towards Anjean, Link and Zelda backed away from him. "I have no wish to continue the work of the spirits. Why would I want to serve the spirits…when I can become as powerful as they are? That was the reason why I came to study with you…" Byrne had walked past Anjean and stood back to back with her. Zelda wanted to cry "look out!" but didn't, she and Link were silent. "But the spirits never answered me. Now matter how hard I worked, or how long, they never granted me anymore powers. Tell me, master…when you realize your wish will never be granted, what do you do then?" Anjean didn't answer, for some reason this seemed to infuriate Byrne who turned around and answered his own question. "The answer was clear…become even more powerful than the spirits themselves! And the only being more powerful is Malladus! Anjean just sighed.

"…Your thoughts are twisted." Anjean said. "It's obvious the time for saving you is past. My words would only be lost on you." Anjean didn't look at Byrne, but at Link and Zelda. "You must hurry to the Fire Realm, Your Highness! Quickly! You too, Link! Restore the Spirit Tracks!" Anjean suddenly pointed her hand towards the two and a blue orb appeared around them both. Link and Zelda gasped, Byrne's eyes grew wide and Anjean looked determined. Byrne took a stop towards them, but Anjean held out her free hand.

"But, Anjean—" Zelda started.

"Go, I will handle this situation!" Anjean interrupted. Link and Zelda suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light; Byrne waved his fist at them as they went. "Now then…" Anjean said turning to face Byrne. "Shall we begin?" Byrne raised his claw

"Perhaps this time, things will be different."

Meanwhile…

Link appeared thirty feet above where he was supposed to be. Link gave a high pitched scream and fell to the floor. Zelda fell after him but caught herself by floating.  
"Are you all right there, Link?" Zelda asked. Link nodded weakly, it hurt, but far less than he expected. Zelda stared up the tower. "But Anjean…she's up there all by herself now." Link got up slowly and Zelda rubbed his head a bit, oblivious to the fact that a spirits touch couldn't really make it feel better. "…I guess we just have to believe she'll be OK. Let's do what she said and go to the Fire Temple. We must hurry and restore the Spirit Tracks in time!" Zelda floated to the train and waited for Link but Link looked at the door, considering on rushing all the way back up and helping Anjean. Zelda seemed to have read his mind, though, for she said. "I know how you're feeling, but we can't. It would just waste time! Anjean wouldn't want us to and would send us back down!" Link sighed and nodded, knowing Zelda was right. Link hoped on the train and made his way to the Snow Realm, a way to the Fire Realm.

Some of you probably noticed that one of Zelda's names for the kids she wants to have is actually how Link is spell in Japan(Rinku). I did this on purpose, although I do not intend people to say read "Link" when I put "Rinku" down. Also it looks like I've been able to update daily after all =D ! I hope I don't jinx it.


	15. Freight Car

The trip to the Fire Realm was very short and only took about fifteen seconds.  
"Those mountains sure are steep. Whew!" Zelda said when they arrived. Suddenly there was an explosion. "Woah! What in the—oh no! Watch out!" Zelda cried as rocks began falling from a volcano. Link began shooting the rocks as they continued, sometimes he shot them in midair, and other times he shot then when they fell on the tracks. Link began going uphill at this point. "This is really steep! I hope the train will be OK!"  
"Don't worry, people must have traveled here before, and anyway this train has taken worse." Link said. Zelda yawned and sat on the passenger car. She looked over the Fire Realm; it had a strange beauty to it. Its smoky sky was red and reminded one a little bit of twilight; it was a sad kind of beauty. Link entered a tunnel and Zelda floated off the passenger car and flew next to the train.

"WHEEE!" Zelda yelled, her voice echoing off the walls of the cave. Link smiled and starred at her…she really was a wonderful person. She was so beautiful…so funny…so kind. Link sometimes wondered if he loved her, most people would say they were if they felt the same way Link did about Zelda. But Link was pretty smart, he knew he was in the early stages of a teenager, and that teenagers would often think they were in love when they were not. Zelda was the only girl his age Link had ever known. She was the first person he ever felt anything like a romantic love feeling for. Link felt it was only likely he would have a false love for her, so braced himself against the possibility. Still…as Link looked at her he couldn't help admiring Zelda. _**She's so beautiful…her neat, blonde hair…her perfect smile…her white skin…hardly even whiter as a spirit…**_

"Link."  
_**her beautiful, gentle, blue eyes…she's really funny too.**_

"Link! Link!"

_**She's also really nice…I could easily get along with her for the rest of my life if we were to get married. **_There it was again, the idea of loving Zelda. _**She's a princess though…still, even know I'm a much lower class, she seems to like the idea of us being friends…maybe we CAN be more?**_

"LINK! LINK! LOOK AHEAD! YOU'RE GOING TO CRASH!" Zelda finally brought Link out of his thoughts and his attention when she flew up to his face and screamed. Link gasped and pulled the emergency break. The train stopped, only an inch from hitting the dead end where the tracks were gone. Link was gasping and catching his breath once more. Zelda was too. "Wh-what were you doing? That was close…" Zelda said

"Sorry…sorry…I was lost in thought." Link said.

"What where you think about?" Zelda asked curiously

"O-oh nothing…" Link said. Zelda looked like she was going to be persistent so Link added "Hey is that a station back there?"

"Oh! Yes it is!" Zelda said. Link backed up the train and stopped it at the station. It looked a bit like a village…perhaps it was a village? It had several caves and a wigwam for a store, it looked like the caves were houses, except that there was lava erupting from all over the place and the area looked uninhabitable. There were several creatures standing near the lava. They looked like snowmen except made of rocks. Their backs especially looked rocky. They were tall and strong looking but after looking at them a bit, you saw they were fleshy. "This village looks like it's seen better days." Zelda said as they examined it. "I wonder if there's anything we can do to help…but first things first. Someone must know where this realm's Lokomo is. Why don't we chat with the villagers, Link?" Link nodded and talked to one of the rock creatures.

"Hello."  
"Your face is unfamiliar to me, stranger. Have you come to visit our village?" The person asked.

"Sorta, I needed to ask you guys a few questions."

"Well, either way, you cannot get there, stranger! You see, the lava from the last eruption has destroyed the way into the village… If you have important business here, you must talk to Kagoron. Follow that road up, and you will find him."

"Pardon? Kagoron?" Link asked

"Kagoron is the mountain goddess's messenger. He is praying at her altar for a stop to the volcano's outbursts. If you decide to go to the altar, be very careful. Because of the eruptions, the path there is paced with danger!" Link nodded and went to his left as he did so Zelda said

"Um, just so you know, Link, those guys are called Gorons. They are a very proud…and VERY strong race. Try not to say anything that will upset them."  
"What? Did I say something offensive to that one back there?"

"No, no, it's just that you should try to keep your tone as respectful as possible no matter what. I haven't seen how strong Gorons are but Teacher's told me a lot and said even as a royal figure I ought to be careful, so I'm just passing on his advice to you!"

"Oh, thanks!" Link said as they passed what looked like an iron store. Link gulped as he saw several boulders heading down a narrow path. Link waited as they passed in ones and two and quickly rolled to a point of safety. Link dodged several more boulders and climbed a set of stairs up the mountain. More boulders were here; Link quickly rolled to a gap and dodged them. Link went along a narrow path; to his right was a lake of lava. Link headed down a small set of stairs and came across a grassy area with a purple switch. Link hit the switch and saw a bridge appear a little ways away. Link swung across several wooden latches and landed on the bridge, Link crossed it and went up a high part of mountain. Link headed forward and saw another pool of lava. In front of it was a goron. This goron was darker skinned than all the others, he also had yellow markings on him and red hair and beard. Link approached the goron and he turned around.

"Hmm? Who is this strange face before me?" The goron said when he saw Link. "This is a scared place of the gorons! You can not just come here on a whim!"  
"Sorry…"

"Hmm…I see you are still a child. Tell me, did you travel here by yourself?"

"You could say that."

"…I must salute your bravery, young stranger. Tell me, is there something you wish to discuss?"

"Yes, actually I was hoping you had some clue where a place known as the Fire Sanctuary is."

"You wish to hear about the Fire Sanctuary?"

"Yes, please." Link said.

"Unfortunately, the way there is hidden to us. Only the elder would be able to tell you that secret. Do you wish to meet him?"

"Yes!"

"Good, good! Nice to see young people with some spine! The elder is in the village, and there is a way to get there. But first…you are an engineer are you not?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Those who drive trains have a special aura about them. I can see it on you!…But moving on! Your train may come in handy. But let us descend the mountain so we can speak in peace. I have some work to do first, so I will meet you down there. You go ahead and get your train ready!" Link nodded and headed back. He read a sign that said _Shortcut back to mountain _and took a left. Link saw some wooden latches and whipped across from them to the other side. Link headed up some stairs and took a right, then jumped down a ledge. Link was back in the goron village, and no sooner had he appeared when the goron he spoke to earlier said

"Kagoron! Why have you left the altar?" And sure enough, behind Link was Kagoron.

"I was thinking of giving a freight car to this child, and I need your help."

"If you say so Kagoron, then I have no complaint!" The goron said. Soon after the goron's garage opened and the goron came, pushing a new car onto Link's train. It was a freight car used for transporting goods.

"This is the favor I require of you, young stranger." Kagoron said when the car was on the train. "Use the freight car to bring back something cold enough to cool the lava. Go talk to merchants in various villages, they will be able to help you."  
"Thanks." Link said heading back to the train.

"Something cold? Hmm…" Zelda said as Link climbed on. "Oh right! I know where to get something cold!" Link nodded and gave her a smile. "Please drive safely!" Link took a route to Anouki village and off they went. As Link went through the tunnel with Zelda flying next to him, he resisted the urge to look at her again. Link had to control himself or he would get killed. Instead Link focused on the falling rocks and blasted them out of the way. Unfortunately in the Snow Realm there was less to distract him. Finally a distraction came in the form of two bulbos with a bulbin. When Link beat these, Zelda sighed and floated down next to Link. She yawned and put an arm over Link's shoulder, it wasn't exactly hidden. Link began to blush and stared determinedly on the road. Link tried to clear his head but he couldn't, he kept on wondering whether or not Zelda was flirting with him. Link barely even noticed himself blasting the snowmen down. _**She's NOT flirting; she just wants to be your friend. If you keep overreacting you're going to ruin it!**_ Still this was getting easier and easier to question, especially when Zelda began resting her head on his shoulder. _**You and Alfonzo put your arms around each other…because you're FRIENDS! Nothing else! She's just tired.**_ Zelda sighed, in truth she wasn't flirting at all, she wasn't hoping for a reaction. But she was doing this out of romantic interest; she sighed because she was wishing she could feel Link right now, to rest on his soft shoulder and feel his warmth. Link took this differently. _**Hmm…well maybe she does want you to make a move… **_Link put his arm around Zelda as well, blushing once again, thankful that Zelda wasn't looking at his face. Instead she closed her eyes, and what seemed like a moment later, she heard Link say

"We're in Anouki Village, c'mon, Zelda." Zelda floated by Link and as if an answer to what they were looking for, Noko called out

"Hey there, little guy!" Link walked over to Noko. "I see ya got yourself a passenger car now! It's fate, I tell ya!"

"Erm…I've always had it." Link said

"What's that? Ya say you've had it for awhile? Well that's news to me! Think ya can give me a lift to a cold, clear spring?"  
"Why?"

"Why, ya ask? Well, listen to this crazy story…you know how me sell Mega Ice here?"

"No."

"Yeah, it's our village's major export. Well, a little while ago, a Ice ChuChu fell in the water…and ever since, there's been a gooey film floatin' on the surface…it's revoltin'! If we made Mega Ice outta this water, our customers would never come back! So please, ya just gotta take me to a lake or some other body of water! And it's got to be to be in a cold place, 'cause ya can't make ice without the cold! Well? You're gonna take me, aren't ya?"

"Let's go." Link said.

"Thank ya kindly! I owe ya one, guy! OK, I'll be waitin' for ya on the train."

"That was easy." Zelda said as she and Link followed Noko to the train. Link saw Noko climb into the passenger car and they were off. Link made a route for Ferrus' station, knowing there was a lake there. The trip wasn't as exciting for Link as the last one because Zelda, who thought it best for Link to be undistracted this time, kept off. There were however new enemies that attacked Link: Tanks. These must have belonged to the pirate miniblins for they had pirate symbols on them. Link managed to take them down as easily as he did the boats. He made sure he protected his passenger. When they were close to the station Link stopped perfectly and allowed Noko to get out.

"Oho! That looks like a nice place for Mega Ice over there!" Noko said rushing to the spring. Link followed and Noko seemed content with where he was. "Booya! Is this a prime spot for makin' Mega Ice or what?"  
"I suppose…"

"Yep, this is it. I'm gonna start up business right here, guy!" with that a new force gem appeared. Link took it and new tracks in the Snow Realm appeared. "Ok, it's time to make Mega Ice!" Noko said.

"Mind if I buy some?"

"Sorry, but could ya come back in a little bit?" Noko asked "There are certain company secrets I don't want revealed to the public!" Link nodded and headed in Ferrus' house. It turned out Ferrus wasn't there.

"Hmmm…can't visit…what shall we do now?" Zelda asked

"I think I'll go take a nap, if you don't mind. If Noko looks finished feel free to wake me up, unless you want to sleep too." Link said heading back to the passenger car and sleeping on a bench. Zelda watched Link while he slept and occasionally rubbed his head. Hours later Zelda heard Link calling her name. "C'mon, Zelda, time to wake up!" Zelda yawned and stretched.

"Is he done?"

"Yeah, he's done." Link said heading back to Noko who had a lot of ice sitting behind him.

"Hey, guy! So about that slick little freight car ya got…why not load it up with some of our fine, local Mega Ice? How 'bout it? The ladies go wild for it," Zelda giggled at this "and I'll even cut ya a special deal. How does 25 rupees sound to ya?"

"Sure." Link said

"Pleasure doin' business with ya! Lemme know if you ya need more! Oh, and I'll even load up your freight car for ya! How's that for service?"

"Thanks." Link said

"Now's a good time to let ya know some things about handlin' the product. First, don't hit anything or let the train sway when ice is loaded on. If ya do, the ice'll spill everywhere. Also watch out for monster attacks. Second, you're carrying ice, so naturally it's going to melt, yeah? In nice, chilly places like this you don't have to worry, though. But once ya travel to warmer places, it'll start meltin' before long! Get where you're goin' before all the ice runs out. If ya don't be prepared to say bye-bye to all the ice!" Link nodded

"Thanks, Noko."  
"No problem, guy!" Noko said as Link went to the train and boarded. Link set a route to the Fire Realm and set off. There wasn't much in his way, only a few snowmen. After the short trip Link was back in the Fire Realm. As Link came close to the goron village, however, a dark train appeared and started heading towards Link. Link backed up and fled from the train. Yet after awhile the train did the same thing too.

"What? It's guarding the village!" Zelda cried. Link sighed and took the long way, he had to avoid several dark trains and kill several monsters. Some of the ice melted as well. But Link still managed to make it to the village with a good amount. "Whew! Looks like we made it somehow. Why are we doing such—" Zelda stopped

"What?"

"No, no, that's not princess-like to say! Come on, let's find Kagoron and tell him about the ice, Link!" Link laughed at this and nodded. He had no clue what Zelda was going to say though. Link went to his left and saw Kagoron standing by himself.

"What is it, young stranger?" Kagoron asked.

"I have it." Link said.

"Oh! Wonderful! We can use it to chill the lava that is separating us from the village. Come on everybody! Come help me move this off the train!" With that several gorons came to Link's train and began lifting the ice and throwing it into the lava. When it was all cooled down and passable, they gave a cheer. "Thank you, now you should go meet the elder. His house is at the most northern part of the village." Kagoron said when this was done. Link nodded and asked

"What about the freight car?"

"Oh, you may have it, young stranger. Consider it a thank you."  
"Oh…thank you!" Link said heading off to the elders. Once inside, Link saw the elder standing before him, he looked very old, but also very powerful. He had gray skin with white designs on it. His hair was white as well and was like a lion's mane, but tied.

"Hrrm? Who are you?" The elder asked at the sight of Link.

"The Elder certainly is imposing, isn't he? If we want him to help us, you'd better made a good impression!" Zelda said. Suddenly the voice of a young goron came.

"Gramps! Gramps!" the little goron came into sight, Link thought he recognized him as one of the gorons outside the village due to the lava. The elder smiled at the child.

"Oho! My grandchild! Are you all right? We were all worried about you!"

"This boy fixed the path to the village, Gramps! That is how I could make it back home!" The grandson said. Link and Zelda exchanged smiles; surely Link was making a good impression now, even without trying.

"Is that so?" The elder asked, sounding impressed. The elder then studied Link and then said "So you are the human Kagoron spoke of. I am the elder of this village! Thank you for your help. Now you are like a goron to us all."

"Oh, thanks!" Link said

"I have heard why you want to see me. You want the secret that has only been entrusted to the goron elders, yes?"

"I would like that, if you don't mind."

"Well, on this special occasion, I will allow you to pass." The elder said stepping aside to reveal a large hole. This was clearly the path to the sanctuary, and it was conveniently in the elder's house. "No one has been this way for awhile, so be careful." The elder said.

"Thank you." Link said entering the cave. Link took a right and saw a fire keese. Link killed it with a boomerang with no problem. Link killed a few more and saw a lake of lava to his right. Across from which was a ledge. Link's left, however, was safe. Link took the left direction, knowing by now that usually ways just opened themselves for him. Sure enough Link saw a wooden latch across another pool of lava leading to a floor switch. Link swung across and stepped on the switch. Link saw a bridge extend where he was and crossed it. Once back at the other lake of lava, he saw a bridge there too. Link crossed this and went along a narrow ledge. Link then turned to his left and climbed two flights of stairs and came outside. Link passed several fire keese and bomb flowers; then suddenly one of the bomb flowers tried to eat him. It wasn't a bomb flower after all, it only looked like one. Link jumped back and blocked the plants fiery breath with his shield. Once safe, Link severed the plant's head and slashed it once more. Link dodged the next one and avoided several raining boulders and he took a curve. This place had several torches and fire breathing plants. Link killed the plants and lit all the torches with his boomerang. A bridge appeared, but Link saw more torches and lit these too. Another bridge appeared higher up the mountain. Link climbed up the mountain and crossed some of these bridges, finding himself face to face with a stamp station. Link took out Niko's notebook and stamped. It was purple with several fire babas and a symbol in between then. Link closed the book and headed to his right. Link now found himself with eight statues and a stone slab. Etched on this was

_Opening the Door of Friendship: Once upon a time, two men fell in love with a beautiful woman. One man was popular and always the center of attention. But all he cared about was the beautiful women he had fallen in love with. Unfortunately for him, the women only had eyes for the other man. The battle for the women's love grew and sent sparks hot enough to melt stone. But eventually, friendship shone between the men like a light, uniting the pair. It was as if a door had been unlocked. _

Link read and re-read this, staring at the statues from now and again. After ten minutes he cried "I don't understand it!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zelda asked.

"It is?"

"Well look at the statues…"

"Yeah…"  
"Well, see this one in the middle?" Zelda asked pointing to the one in the middle.

"I do…"  
"See how all the other statues but two look at him?"

"Oh! Center of attention?"

"Yes!"

"OK…what about the others?"

"Well see this statue?" Zelda asked pointing at another.

"Yes."

"It's the women."

"It looks nothing like a women." Link said. Zelda sighed at this

"Use your imagination, Link! Anyway, see how the man stares at her, yet she doesn't look at him? Because she ONLY HAS EYES FOR THE OTHER MAN?" Zelda said pointing at another statue. Link nodded. "Well they fought and a light shone BETWEEN the pair!" Link stood still for a moment then gave a loud

"OH!" Zelda rolled her eyes a bit and giggled. Link stood between the two men statues and played the song of light. A gray crystal rose from the ground and shot a beam of light on a door north of the statues and the door slide open. "Thanks, Zelda!" Link said walking in the door.

"You're welcome." Zelda said, feeling pretty smart and accomplished. Inside was a pool of lava with an altar over it. There were several bridges to the altar, Link took one of them and met what was clearly the Lokomo of this realm. Like most of the others he was short and in a set of wheels. He had red hair that reminded you of fire and orange and black robes. He also had a small mustache. "Excuse me; are you the guardian of this realm?" Zelda asked. "Anjean told us about you."

"So you've arrived at last, boy! And you too, Zelda of Hyrule! My name is Embrose, and I am indeed this realm's guardian." He spoke in a proud, strong, clear voice. "On behalf of the Fire Realm, let me extend a hearty, hearty welcome!"

"Wow, he certainly is peppy, isn't he?" Zelda said. "You know, the Lokomo are unique people. And Embrose in no exception…"

"You should look people in the eye when you're talking to them!" Embrose barked at Zelda. It was clear Zelda wasn't used to being yelled at for she gave a yelp and said

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" and hid from sight.

"You need to make the other person FEEL what you're saying." Embrose said. "But I digress. In case you're wondering, yes, I know who you are. You're here to restore the Spirit Tracks, right?"

"Yep!" Link said. For some reason Embrose beamed at him and said

"Good answer! And good posture and volume! You remind me of myself, boy! And I'm impressed with the courage it took you to make it here! Now…in order to restore the Spirit Tracks, I need your help. Do you know about Lokomo songs?"  
"Of course!"

"Now listen—I will play your part first, so try to do what I do!" Link nodded and took out the Spirit Flute while Embrose took out a timpani. Embrose lead Link through a five note song, this one also skipped a note but Link was better at it now. It was longer but it was also slower. Link failed on the first two attempts but did it perfectly on the third. Link continued and did it three times perfectly in a row before Embrose said

"Good! Are you ready for the real thing?"

"Sure." Link said placing the rail map between himself and Embrose. Like always they went slow first, before going into the full song. Link did it perfectly and Zelda sighed as she listened to the music. Link was getting really good at this. He was almost as good as Zelda herself. Suddenly new tracks appeared leading to the temple.

"You did it! That was the best performance yet, Link!" Zelda said.

"Oh, thank you!" Link said blushing a little bit.

"Come on, let's make our way to the Fire Temple! Thank you so much, Embrose!" Embrose smiled

"Well done indeed! Just one thing before you go. The mountain's rifle with danger, so talk to the people at the village before you go!" Link nodded and said thanks before leaving the sanctuary. Link backtracked past the monsters and cave to the elder's house. The elder beamed at him

"Oh! It appears everything went quite well! You must be quite the musician. Will you go directly the Fire Temple now?"

"Of course!"

"Well then, just remember this much. There is a gate to the fire temple that is protected by three locks. But some mischievous monsters stole all the keys! Without getting all the keys back from the monsters, you can't open those doors! Did you write all that down?"

"Yes." Link said, even though he really didn't.

"The people of the mountain village know a lot about the monsters. Go ask them for advice."

"Will do." Link said with a nod and left the elder's house. Link turned to his right and entered the cave next door. Inside was a pacing goron. "Hey, you! Knowing anything about the key-snatching monsters?" Link asked

"The monsters on the mountain don't like a certain noise." The goron said. "The noise goes like this. One short noise, then one long noise. Like 'gon-goroooooooooon.' I don't know what sound that is, but it works. Just don't forget now: gon-gorooooooooon!" Link nodded and said

"Thank you!" before leaving the cave and going back to the train. "All right, Zelda, let's go!"  
"Be careful!" Zelda warned. Link nodded and set a route to the temple, hopefully he would find the monsters on the way. Link entered a cave and killer several small bug like monsters inside. Zelda was looking at the rail map which Link always kept propped up and said "Ooh! Are those the monsters, Link?" Link looked where she was pointing and saw what looked like a large snurgle, it was holding a key and had a red color instead of a blue.

"I think that's it…" Link said

"Oh! And there's another…and another!" Zelda said pointing at two separate spots. Link kept his eyes on all of them and began hunting them down with his train. He made it so he would get one head on. After a few minutes of traveling, Link finally saw one. It floated around him and would blow its trunk from time to time. Remembering what the goron said, Link pulled his whistle twice, once short, once long. The giant snurgle gave a yelp and Link shot at it with a cannon. The monster fell and Link grabbed its key. Link turned his attention back to the map and was quickly able to locate another one of the monsters. It was close by and Link managed to catch up to it quickly. Link beat it the same way as the last and took its key. Link then turned his attention to the final monster, it was far away. Link made a route to it but had a hard time catching it; it was almost as though this giant snurgle knew exactly where Link was. It kept on turning and Link would have to go through a bit of trouble to try and head it off again.

Finally after ten minutes of trying to get it, Link managed to catch up with it and his temper was running high.

"FOUND YOU, MONSTER! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Link screamed at it, after each "DIE!" he would shoot it with the cannon. The monster dodged all of these and Link gave a yell of fury and blew his whistle. Zelda couldn't help giggling; it was a little funny to see Link act like this. The monster yelped at the whistle and Link shot it. Link took the final key and made his way to the Fire Temple. Once he was there he stopped the train and went up to the lock which had three key holes. Link placed all the keys in and the gate opened. Link then ran back to the train and parked inside the temple.

Oh… I guess the passenger cart is called the passenger car and ect. I guess you learn something new everyday, eh? After I finish this fanfic and my next I will read through them all one more time and correct them again. That is going to be on the top of my list.


	16. Fire Temple

Link hoped off the train.

"It seems the temple sits here on the very summit of the mountain." Zelda said "Well, there's no time to waste. Let's restore the Spirit Tracks and return to Anjean." Link nodded and headed through the door up ahead. Link ran up the hall and saw three closed doors. Two were locked and the other was sealed, Link went to his right and saw a small volcano with lava spurting out of it, in the middle of a large gap. Link decided to leave this and went to the left instead. Link took a right after and saw a room filled with spikes and spinning sticks of fire on the floor. Link gulped. "Oh…do be careful, Link!" Zelda said worriedly. Link gave her a small smile and wink, and then ran through the room tiptoeing out of reach of the fire and avoiding the spikes. Zelda sighed when Link was out of harms way, it had been scary watching him do that and part of her just wanted to grab on to him and give him a big hug, but she controlled this impulse. Link continued on and went to a square room. A door sealed shut behind him. Suddenly three skeletons rose and began to attack Link. Link stabbed at them, but they jumped with great skill and dodged. Link took out his whip and began whipping and slashing at these. This was harder to avoid and eventually Link managed to sever two of their heads from their respective bodies. Link crushed their heads and turned to the last one. Link slashed and whipped once more and this monster too lost its head. Link grabbed the head with the whip and slammed it against the wall where it was crushed into dust. The doors opened and Link continued. "Good job, Link! Those stalfos were scary!" Zelda said. Link began walking around the room and saw several trap doors. Link also saw strange, featureless, large centipede type creatures that moved against the wall and surged with electricity. Link read a piece of stone on the wall that said

_The pitfalls here mirror the ones on the other side, so make note of them._ Link got out a piece of paper and quill and began moving around the room, making a rough sloppy drawing of it and where the pitfalls were. Link then put this in his pocket and, dodging the trap doors, went to the next room.

The next room had a rail and type of mine cart. "What's this dilapidated old thing?" Zelda asked out loud. "It looks like some kind of vehicle." Link stepped to it and was about to climb in when Zelda asked "Are you sure you can trust it?"

"No, but I'm not going to just ignore it, it's here for a reason." Link said climbing in. The vehicle rode Link on a quick ride to another section of the room with a chest. It dumped Link on his face.

"Are you all right?" Zelda asked

"Fine…" Link mumbled opening the chest, it contained a key. Link jumped back into the cart and made his way back to the staircase. He was prepared this time and threw his hands out in front of him to cushion the fall. Link took an uphill staircase for a short cut, it led to a ledge but it also gave Link a view of a switch. Link hit the switch with the boomerang and a smooth stone fell from the air and landed on the floor. Link picked it up and carried it with him, wondering what to do with it. Suddenly when Link saw the mini volcano once more he realized what to do. Link threw the stone on the volcano and it stayed perfectly still. Link ran and jumped on it and to the other side, the stone stayed miraculously still. Link had ignored the locked doors for now.

There was a jet of fire streaming here; it wasn't too unlike those from the Tower of Spirits. There was also a block nearby. Link grabbed this and pushed it against the flames, using it as a shield. When it was against the jet, Link headed to his right. As Link stepped into the room, his foot suddenly sank as the floor opened to reveal a pitfall.

"Link!" Zelda cried as Link struggled to get up. Link managed to get out and took out his drawing, this was the mirror room. Link carefully and nervously guided himself around the room, crawling and feeling in front of himself as he read the map. He managed to make it to the staircase without falling. There was another cart in here, Link jumped in and rode. He rode past a switch and landed on an empty area. Link rode back and then back again, this time hitting the switch on his way. There were two more, Link hit both and realized these switches controlled the rail directions. Link landed next to a stalfos and a chest. Link killed the stalfos and opened the chest. It contained a key, like the last one. Link rode back to the room with invisible pitfalls and climbed an upper area of the room and used it as a short cut. Link jumped across the flat stone once more and opened the two locked doors. Each of these contained a switch. Link threw the boomerang at both, and the door in the middle opened. It revealed a staircase leading up; Link took this and came into a room with the electric centipede things. The door closed behind him and Link suddenly saw a turtle creature. It had a sapphire on its head and large stone shell. Its body was purple and its underbody was red. It gave a feeble growl and made its way slowly to Link. Link just stood there, not even getting his sword out.

"What are you doing?" Zelda asked

"What?"  
"It's a monster! Kill it!"

"Aww c'mon Zelda, it looks so helpless!" Link said pointing at the turtle which was still heading towards him. "Huh, you're not a bad turtle are you?" Link asked patting its head. The turtle bit him hard. "ARGH! YOU LITTLE—" Link cried stabbing at the creature. The turtle hid in its shell and the attack did nothing. The shell spun and the turtle ran Link over. Zelda whistled and looked away from Link. "Oh be quiet…" Link muttered. Zelda giggled and said nothing. The turtle tried to ram Link again. Link backed up but got hit by one of the electric monsters on the wall. "Argh!" Link cried out. Suddenly, Link had an idea. Link danced in front of the creatures and the turtle charged again. Link dodged it and the turtle hit the creature itself. The turtle's head came out and Link slashed at the monster. The turtle got hit a few times before hiding in its shell once more. Link stood in front of the electric wall monster and waited again. The turtle fell for it once more and Link slashed at it with his sword. The turtle hid again and Link stood in front of the electric monster. The turtle didn't move and just stared at Link. "Oh, getting smart are you?" Link said slashing at the turtle and making it hide in its shell. Link jumped out of reach and the turtle ram at him again, it hit the electric wall monster and was vulnerable once more. Link ran to it and used the finishing blow. The turtle gave a feeble cry and fell on the floor, dead. A chest appeared at the end of the room. Link opened the chest and found a bow, quiver, and some arrows.

"Oh! That's a nice bow, Link!" Zelda said "Even I don't have one as good as that!"

"You know how to use one of these?" Link asked

"Oh a little bit, I'm not that good." Zelda said modestly

"Can you at least teach me the basics?" Link asked. Zelda nodded and said

"Ok…hold it with your left—no wait right hand."

"I'm left handed in a lot of things actually."

"I know. Use your right hand to hold it. Ok now place the arrow here…oh this would be sooo much easier if I could guide you…ok good. Now pull back on the string…easy now! Ok a little more…and release!" Link let go and the shot hit one of the electric monsters and killed it. "Wow! Great shot, Link! This is your first time?"

"Yeah, but that was an accident…" Link said sheepishly.

"Well…you have the basics anyway." Zelda said. "Come on, let's go!" Link nodded and went to his right. There was a gap separating him from a staircase. On the wall was a red eye marking. Link had a feeling what he was supposed to do. Link pulled out the arrow and shot the eye, it turned blue and a bridge formed. Link crossed the bridge and headed upstairs.

In the next room there was a gap. Link couldn't jump it, but on the other side was a strange jewel in the shape of an arrow.

"Hey, Link, hit that…I want to see what happens." Zelda said. Link shrugged and nodded, placing the arrow on the bow, Link shot…and missed. "You're bending your elbow all weird…" Zelda said "Hold it like this." Zelda said holding an imaginary bow. Link nodded and imitated her, he shot once more and hit. "Great job! You're a fast learner, Link!"

"Thanks, Zelda!" Link said as the arrow went to his left, the direction the arrow jewel was facing; he heard several noises and a thud. The arrow had hit something and a bridge formed. Link crossed and it and saw there had been another arrow jewel-thing and it had been pointing at another red eye. Link turned to his right and saw a small edge. "Zelda mind checking out what's over there?" Link asked.  
"Sure!" Zelda said floating over "Ooh! There's an eye!" Link nodded and turned the arrow firer and threw it on the small platform. Link hit it with an arrow and heard a thud, meaning it had hit the eye. A bridge extended to the ledge. Link walked here. "There was another eye to the left of that one." Zelda said pointing at the one Link hit. Link turned the firer to the left and threw it on a platform in front of the eye. Link hit this with an arrow and heard another thud. A new bridge and extended and Link crossed this as well. Link then walked down a set of stairs into a new room. Link turned to his right and saw a locked door along with another set of stairs. Link ignored the door and climbed down once more. This room had a small path in the middle surrounded by two pools of lava. The door closed behind Link and several stalfos appeared on ledges on the other side of the lava. Link smiled and pulled out his bow. To his dismay the monsters could use projectiles as well and threw bones at him. Link dodged these and shot them all. Once all heads were severed, Link shot them again and both doors opened. Link went through the new door and once again saw two pools of lava. One his left was a wooden latch, but was surrounded by lava spurting from a small volcano. On Link's right was a ledge with an arrow firer. Link aimed at this, just for the sake of seeing what would happen. As Link expected the arrow firer was aiming at some sort of switch and the lava stopped coming from the volcano. Link quickly pulled out his whip and whipped across the room. The room was closed off by a door but the left was free. Link went to his left and took another left. There were stalfos here. Link pulled out his whip and snuck behind one. Link grabbed its head off with the whip and threw it at the other stalfos' head. Both were defeated at this and Link turned his attention to a pool of lava. It had mini volcanoes in the middle of it that would spurt out lava at random times. On these were little flat rocks like Link had seen near the beginning. The remained precariously perched on the volcanoes top even though it kept spurting lava. Link gulped and jumped on one. Zelda watched wide eyed as the stone wobbled a bit. Link jumped two more and stopped before the last one, which had an endless streamed of lava coming from it. Luckily for Link, his volcano erupted and sent him high enough to jump on the other. Link jumped on the last volcano stone and then on the ledge. The stone fell to the lava as Link leapt off. Zelda whimpered a little bit. That had been scary to watch, and once again had to control her urge to give Link a hug. To Link's right was several wooden latches. Link whipped across these and ended up over the door he had seen earlier. There was a floor switch nearby which Link pressed, it opened the door. Link turned to a small narrow ledge which spiky objects moving over it. On either side was lava. Link braced himself and ran past the spiky object, and then dodged two more. Link looked to his left and saw another small ledge, one spiky object was on it, but it never left the ledge. Link gulped and then when it was just a few inches behind him, ran. Link then went to one of the turns, he was safe but this area had nothing for him. There was small volcano and a ledge leading to a staircase but no way across. Link went back to the narrow path and took a different turn. There were several fire keese here and torches. Link thought of an idea and pulled out the boomerang. Link aimed the boomerang at the keese and made it head to the torches. Once it hit the keese it was on fire and it lit both torches when it passed. Once the torches were lit a flat stone landed perfectly on the small volcano from before. Link jumped on this, then on the ledge leading to the staircase. Link headed up in the next room and the door closed behind him. There were two turtle monsters in here. Link pulled out his bow and arrow; he was going to have an easier time now. Link shot arrows at both of these creature's heads. Both died and the doors on either side reopened. Link looked around the room and saw eyes and tablets. Link read each of these left to right.

_Aim for the eye above the second._

_Aim for the eye above the first._

_Aim for the eye above the fourth._

_Aim for the eye above the third._

"Think you can remember this for me?" Link asked Zelda

"Sure." Zelda said and began singing a new song which had very repetitive lyrics. "Two, One, Four, Three…." Zelda sang. Link smiled and headed down a new set of stairs. Link headed down a hallway and went to his right. There was a stalfos here which was easily beaten by Link's bow. Link saw a closed door and a switch. Link stepped on the switch and saw the door open; sadly he couldn't see what was in it because it was in an angle.

"Zelda, can you go and check for me?" Link asked. Zelda nodded and floated over.

"It's an eye!"

"I see…I guess I need a weight or an arrow mechanic thing…" Link said heading past the door and switch. As it turned out Link was now on the ledge with the arrow firer he had seen earlier. Link smiled and picked this up. Link set it down so it was facing the left and stood on the switch. "Is that going to hit?" Link asked. Zelda flew over and checked again.

"Maybe…but I would move it just a BIT to the right…" Link nodded and moved the arrow a bit.

"Now?" Link asked when he was on the switch.

"Yep, that looks perfect!" Zelda said. Link shot an arrow and it hit the arrow firer, then the eye. A flat stone fell from the ceiling. Link picked it up and headed back to the area where the arrow firer was. Link placed the stone on the mini volcano. When the lava came, Link jumped off. Link saw two switches, an arrow firer, a pillar with two eyes on either side, three mini volcanoes, and a door in this room. Link hit one of the switches which made a wooden latch appear for Link to use as a shortcut later if he wanted. Link pushed the other and lava gushed out of all the mini volcanoes on the floor. Link hit it again and it stopped. Carefully Link grabbed the flat stone off the gushing volcano leading to the high ledge and threw it on one of the mini ones on the ledge. Link stood on it and hit the lava switch with his arrow. Link hit the eye on the pillar with his arrow and a ticking noise filled the room. Link knew he wouldn't be able to hit the other one in time and jumped off the rock. Link hit the switch and the lava stopped. Link sat for a moment thinking, and after five minutes he pulled the flat rock out again.

Link put the rock on its previous volcano and backtracked to the room with the switch and door. Link grabbed the arrow firer here and went back to the room with the eye pillar. Link placed the arrow so it was facing one of the eyes. Link then grabbed the other arrow firer in the room and faced it so Link could shoot it and it would fire into the other arrow shooter. Link then grabbed the stone again and placed it where he had placed it before. Link shot the switch again, then Link shot the eye, finally Link shot the shooter and it hit the other eye. The door opened and Link headed inside it and claimed the prize inside the chest: a key. Link used the shortcut he made before and headed back to the room with two staircases and a locked door. Link opened the locked door and took a left. Link saw another cart and stepped in it. Link passed the eyes before he realized what he was supposed to do. Luckily for him the cart kept going around in a circle.

"What's the order again?"  
"Huh…oh! Two, one, four, threeeee!" Zelda sang and giggled. Link laughed too and aimed at the second eye and missed. "Oooh this might be tough hitting a moving target…" Zelda said. Link aimed another arrow as he passed and missed once more. He missed the third as well, but hit it the fourth time. Link went around ten more times before he finally hit all the eyes in the correct order. When he did, the rails changed and Link found himself flung face first on a ledge near a staircase. Link climbed down the stairs, down another hall and more stairs, and found himself in a room with a boulder to his left and a map on the wall to his right. Link examined it closely with Zelda and after staring at it for a minute Zelda said "Link…I think this is a map of this room!"

"What are the dots and the little explosions, then?" Link asked

"I think…they're switches. Take note of this Link, it may save you!" Zelda said eyeing the lava.

"So there must be a vehicle around here…" Link said copying the map. "That's what all the rails are for." Link then turned and faced the boulder. Link pulled out a bomb and left it near the boulder. Once it exploded the boulder became a flat stone, not as flat as the others but pretty flat. Right in front of him was a mini volcano and a little above it, the cart. Link placed the stone on the volcano and stood on it. This stone was roughly made and wobbled a bit. When the lava came and pushed Link up, Link jumped in the cart and the stone fell. Link eyed his map quickly and saw he was to skip the second switch. Link hit the first and not the second on his way and saw the rails change. Link saw himself being spared from mini volcanoes that would have burned him had he not hit the switches, or had him them in the second switches case. Link landed on the next platform and read a stone slab

_Carry the big key by cart._

Link turned to his left and there was the big key, it was on a small out of reach ledge, and on the other side of this ledge was a cart. Nervously sweating, Link pulled out the whirlwind and blew the key on the cart, it didn't move. Link saw another cart nearby and headed towards it eyeing his map. He had to skip the third switch. As soon as Link climbed in, both carts went off. Link hit the first and second switch with ease. Link nearly hit the third but Zelda yelled

"DON'T!" just in time. Link gasped when he saw how far the fourth switch was from him and hastily took out the bow and arrow. Link missed the first time but just barely hit it just in time the second time. Link and the big key fell right in front of the big door. Link tossed the key in and the large block lowered. Link headed down the stairs.

Link went to his right and read the usual

_Step into the blue light to return to the temple entrance. _

Before heading up the stairs. Inside was a large pool of lava and a rock in the middle. The door closed behind Link. Suddenly the "rock" glowed at spots and woke up. It was a giant monster, sixty feet tall, made of magma and rock, and it had a large blue, red and yellow eye. It raised its fists and roared at Link. Link knew to aim for the eye but couldn't reach. Link saw several rails around the monster and a cart to help but there were mini volcanoes spurting lava in front of it and it was too high. The monster raised its fist and struck the ground. Link saw a new glowing spot as it stretched. Link dodged the fist which shook the ground and got his bow and arrow out. When the creature stretched again Link hit the glowing spot with an arrow. Lava spurted out and the monster gave a roar. It struck the ground harder than last time and several boulders fell. One of the boulders was rather large, suddenly Link had an idea. Link stood next to the boulder and taunted the monster. The monster gave a roar of fury and struck. Link dodged just in time and the boulder was flattened, Link used this flat rock as he did the others and placed it on the mini volcano. Link jumped as the lava made the rock rise and jumped into the cart. The rock fell in the lava as he did so. Link aimed for glowing spots all over the creature's body and hands to ward it off as the cart rose and rose higher in the air. The monster kept trying to grab Link but Link managed to keep it at bay by shooting it. When Link made it to the top he aimed for the eye, trying desperately to hit it. He only had a few moments before the cart would start going down. The rock monster kept on shutting its eye though so Link couldn't hit it. The creature sent its hand at Link and Link shot the glowing spot on the hand. The monster gave a roar of fury and Link shot in the eye. The monster fell and the top of its head fell off and revealed a large glowing spot. The cart went down hill fast and Link jumped out just as it parked itself where it began. Link ran up to the monster and slashed at its head. The monster roared after being slashed several times and tried to hit Link. Link dodged and aimed his bow at him. The monster stretched to punch and Link hit its exposed glowing spot on its stomach. The monster roared and punched again. Boulders fell and Link once again hid behind a big one. The monster struck at Link and this boulder became as flat as the last. Link used this on the mini volcano and climbed the cart. The rock creature tried once more to grab him but Link kept him at bay with arrows. When Link reached the eye he shot once more just as it opened its eye. The creature gave a cry of pain and fell to the ground. Link stabbed its still exposed head and the creature gave the loudest roar of all. Lava streamed from its head and body, soon it exploded and a red triangle appeared. In the middle of the pool of lava, a machine appeared like the others and it turned and twisted as the red triangle centered itself in it. There was a flashing light and energy flowed through the Spirit Tracks as well as new ones appearing, the top of the tower connected with the rest of it. The Tower of Spirits was whole again.

"You've done it! Way to go, Link!" Zelda cheered. "You actually beat that terrifying giant of a monster! Amazing!"

"Thanks…" Link said modestly blushing.

"With it defeated, all the Spirit Tracks should be restored. Let's head back to the Tower of Spirits!" Link nodded and stepped in the blue light that appeared. Link was at the train station once more. Link headed to the train and hoped on. "I'm very worried about Anjean." Zelda said. Link nodded gravely and started the train, and headed his way to the Tower of Spirits.

Sorry the boss felt rushed, and I would like to thank the people who have reviewing, if it weren't for you guys I wouldn't have the will to keep writing! Thanks!


	17. Malladus

Link had just left the fire temple. He was nervous about what was coming; most likely he would have to fight Byrne and Cole. Link had little knowledge of Cole's power but Byrne was definitely a threat. As though reading his mind, Zelda asked

"Are you nervous?"

"No…" Link said unconvincingly.

"Are you sure?"

"No…I am nervous." Link admitted

"I know…me too. But I swear Link; I will try to do everything I can to help!"

"Thanks Zelda…and don't worry about me. I came this far to help you, there's no way I'm losing now!"

"That's the spirit, Link!" Zelda said as a snurgle attacked and Link shot it down. There was one thing that Link couldn't help wondering about. If he died, would he be a ghost like Zelda? Or was Zelda not actually dead? Maybe they needed her body alive for Mallaudus? Link knew nothing of the underworld or death, some spoke of an afterlife. Some said it was a paradise, others said there were two, one good, one bad, and it depended on which you were to go to each one. Link sort of hoped he would be a ghost, at least this way he could always be friends with Zelda. But if dead people turned into ghosts, why had Link never seen any before Zelda? It seemed as though his first theory was correct: Zelda wasn't actually dead.

Link stopped at goron village. "What are you doing?" Zelda asked.

"Just need to get some more arrows." Link said going into the shop and buying some. "OK, now I'm ready to go." Link rode to the Tower of Spirits and both he and Zelda spotted a bunny.

"Get it, Link! Get it!" Zelda cried, her love of animals pushing Anjean from her thoughts temporarily. Link laughed and ran at the bunny with the net. The bunny ran but with a dive, Link managed to catch it in the net. Link placed it with its fellows.

"Aww look! They're cuddling!" Zelda said pointing to the other three rabbits. Link smiled and placed the fourth with them and headed towards the Tower of Spirits once more. The rest of the trip was short, and when they arrived Link jumped out the train and rushed with Zelda to the staircase, they stopped right before it and Zelda spoke. "It looks like the Tower if Spirits is back to normal, Link. But I can still feel an evil presence surrounding it…does this mean we stopped the Demon King's resurrection? At any rate we should go to the altar at top where he's imprisoned. I'm also worried about Anjean, so we really should hurry!" Link nodded and set of to the stairs but Zelda touched him to indicate he should stop, and she continued. "Before we go, though, I just want to say thank you for everything! I'm so grateful!"

"You're welcome; it was nice traveling with you, Zelda." Link said smiling. Zelda smiled too

"And you, Link. But though we've come this far, there's still more we need to accomplish. Shall we press on?"

"Of course!" Link said

"That's great to hear!" Zelda said, worried that Link would need another rest by now. "Let's go!" Link nodded and set off to the staircase once again. He ran up the long staircase for quite awhile until he reached the top, he looked pretty tired by the time he made it here. Link gasped for breath for awhile, and then entered the final door. "This is the final battle, Link!" Zelda said as he entered. "Once we get through here, we'll be at the top of the tower. Still, I can't help but worry."

"Why?" Link asked.

"It's just that I've been separated from my body for so long… don't get me wrong—I'm very worried about Anjean, too. I hope she's all right." Link had no clue what Zelda was worried for but nodded and set off to his right. There were cracked blocks on the ground and Link destroyed these with bombs. The noise of the bombs attracted the attention of a new Phantom. Its power wasn't clear, bit its appearance was noticeably different as its armor was black. Link fled before the Phantom could see him and saw glowing behind another set of cracked blocks and once the Phantoms weren't around, Link threw several bombs at these. They exploded and Link grabbed the tear. Link took a left back to the entrance and continue left. Link bombed two areas where there were cracked walls. Unfortunately, right behind these walls was a Phantom. It saw Link and attacked; now its power was clear. Unlike the other Phantoms, this one did not attack with its sword. Instead it rolled at Link like a metal boulder. Link saw a safe zone and fled in here. The safe zone had several purple walls made of blocks and two moveable blocks. Link moved these out of the way and saw a floor switch. Link pressed this and heard a noise from over the wall. Link left this safe zone and investigated. The area behind the wall had a safe zone and a locked door, but there was a wall here too. Link figured it would be here that the change happened. Link went further to his right down hallways and avoided the Wrecker Phantoms to look. The area also had a safe zone along with a wooden latch. Across a gap was a chest. Link swung the whip and whipped to the chest and opened it. It contained a key. Link backtracked to the locked door and opened it. Once open Link entered and climbed a set of stairs. Link went to his right in the next room and saw a small staircase leading to a ledge with an arrow firer. Link ignored this for now as he had no clue what its use was. Link then saw two miniblins on statues up ahead and several of the same spiked statues blocking a corridor to his right. There was a large ledge which Link couldn't jump. Link went back to the entrance and took a right this time. There was a miniblin here too which Link ignored and a switch. Link stepped on the switch and a door opened. Like the one in the fire temple, it was at an angle. Zelda floated to the door and looked inside. "There's an arrow shooter in there and an eye, but the shooter isn't facing the right way…also I think you need another one to use it." Link left the switch and as he predicted the door closed. Link sat down and thought for a moment then pulled out his boomerang. Link stood on the switch and threw the boomerang so it would enter the room.

"Did it hit the arrow device?"

"No, but it was in the right direction, just a little farther….why are you trying to hit it?" Link didn't answer and threw it again, making it go farther and slightly to the left of where Zelda said the shooter was. "It hit…and you kind of moved it bit." Zelda said. Link smiled and threw the boomerang several more times.

"Is it facing the eye?"

"Almost…oh!" Zelda said catching on the Link's plan. Link threw the boomerang again. "Perfect!" Zelda said. Link smiled and went back to the small staircase where he saw the other arrow shooter. Link grabbed it and turned it, then placed it in front of the door, there was a different color tile, clearly there to show Link where to place it. Link stepped on the switch and fired. The arrow went from shooter to shooter, and then hit the eye. Link heard a bridge extend and went back to where he saw the large ledge.

Just as Link crossed the bridge and noticed there were a lot of cracked blocks, it happened. A Wrecker Phantom appeared. Link gave a silent gasp and ran. Luckily the Phantom did not notice him, as Link passed the blocks he noticed a glow coming from some of them. Link bombed these until he found a tear of light. Link collected this and went to his left. Link saw a final set of blocks and blew these up. Behind them was a safe zone with a stairway leading up. Link climbed this and made it to a new room, it had several ledges and piles of cracked blocks. Link sighed; he wouldn't be able to destroy all of those with bombs. Link saw a Phantom pass and followed it and went to a set of stairs with a floor switch on its ledge. Link stepped on this and a door opened, it was a little far and Link couldn't see at his angle. Zelda flew over and said

"There's an eye in there!" Link nodded and began searching the room more. The ledges in this room had colored tiles on it and one of these had an arrow shooter on it. Link also noticed one of the towers of blocks had a shooter on top. "How are you going to get that?" Zelda asked. Link sighed and said

"I have an idea…but it's risky…"

"What is it?"

"Watch and see." Link said and stabbed the Phantom in the back. It, of course, did nothing but draw the Phantom's attention, it turned into a ball and rolled after him. Link stood in front of the cracked blocks and like a matador lured the Phantom and dodged it at just the last second. Soon all the blocks were gone, and Link hid in the safe zone he first came from. When the Phantoms attention was lost, Link claimed the arrow shooter and went back to the floor switch. On a ledge to Link's right was a colored tile, if he made the shooter face south it would hit the other, and that would hit the third. If Link turned the third it would hit the eye. Link placed the arrow shooter where the switch was and pushed a block between the switches ledge and the ledge with the tile. Link then climbed back on the ledge and grabbed the shooter. Link jumped off to the block and on the other ledge. Link placed the shooter on the tile and went on a ledge near the entrance. With the boomerang, Link turned the shooter like the last. Link then went back to the ledge with the switch and stood on it. The door opened again and Link shot the shooter to his right. The arrow was re-directed three times and hit the eye Zelda spoke of. A new door opened and Link went to it, inside was the final tear. Link grabbed it and his sword glowed.

"Oh boy! Now I get to join in on the fun!" Zelda said with a smile. Link laughed at this and followed the Phantom. This time when Link struck it, it was affected. Zelda floated inside and turned to Link. "Hey look! I'm a Wrecker Phantom! Now I can roll around and smash things up! But I hope I don't get too dizzy…" Zelda rolled around a bit and sighed. "Oooh I hope I don't do that too much…"  
"Maybe you ought to continue fighting with your sword, when you can." Link suggested. Zelda nodded at this and they backtracked to the room with many cracked blocks.

"OK, lemme try this." Zelda said rolling into it. She smashed into the other Phantom too and knocked him down. "Oops…" Zelda giggled as she and Link crossed the bridge. Zelda took care of the miniblins statues and one of the miniblins, then she continued to the left with all the statues and blocks that were blocking their way. Link finished off the last miniblin and followed her. They passed a locked door and went down a staircase. This room had several blocks, purple unmovable ones, normal grey movable ones, and large turquoise ones that Zelda might be able to move but Link certainly couldn't. There were switches all around the room as well. There was also a row of spikes guarding a chest. Link moved back a gray block to free a large block for Zelda to move on the north-west corner to cover two switches. While Zelda did this, Link moved another small gray block to the south-west corner but couldn't quite put it on the single switch here until Zelda finished in the northwest and pulled a large block out of Link's way. Link went back and pushed to gray block on the single switch while Zelda moved two large blocks out the way in the south-east corner. Link went here while Zelda stood on one of the last two remaining blocks on the north-east corner. Link pushed a small gray block on the single switch in the south-east corner and joined Zelda on the other switch. They heard the noise of spikes withdrawing and Link went back to the chest and opened it. Link found a key to the door above. Link called Zelda and together they went up stairs and opened the locked door. They headed up the stairs and came in a new room. Link and Zelda moved onward and looked to their left, there were boulders coming down the hall.

"Leave it to me," Zelda said "and just follow behind." Link nodded and Zelda rolled up into a ball and rolled straight at the boulders. Link followed behind as Zelda destroyed all the other boulders. Once past the boulders, they hit a switch which stopped the boulder flow. There was a pool of lava up ahead, Zelda stepped in and Link rode on her shield. They explored the lava and saw that there was an eye on the wall where they just were, there were two arrow shooters, two sealed doors, and two wooden latches. Zelda dropped Link off at a ledge that faced the eye on the wall. Link climbed up a small set of stairs on the ledge and shot the eye. A door opened for a brief moment, Link managed to see an eye behind it before the door closed. Link thought for a moment but quickly realized he could use the two shooters.

"Zelda, give me a ride to that ledge over there, please." Link said.

"Sure, Link." Zelda said allowing Link to climb on again and jump off where one of the shooters was. Link picked this up and climbed back on Zelda.

"OK, take me back please." Zelda nodded and took Link back where she originally set him. Link placed the arrow shooter where he fired the arrow himself and said

"Alright, another trip back, please."

"How many times are you going to make me do this?" Zelda asked laughing. Link laughed a bit and said

"Last time going here, I promise…now I want you to pick up the other shooter and put it over there." Link said pointing at a yellow tile. Zelda nodded and picked up the shooter and without being told, she turned it to face where the eye would be. Link shot an arrow at the first shooter and it shot an arrow at the eye, the door opened and Link shot another at the one Zelda set down, it too shot but…

"Too low." Zelda said. Link picked a spot at his chin and stared.

"Oh! Zelda, would you mind picking the arrow up?"

"Sure….wait, don't hit me with the arrow, OK?" Zelda said realizing Link's plan.

"Don't worry I won't." Link said hitting the arrow shooter again and making the door open. Link took careful aim and shot the one Zelda held. It hit the eye beyond the door and the other door opened to reveal a staircase. "OK, one last time taking me through the lava." Link said. Zelda nodded and set down the shooter and went to Link. Link hoped on her shield and Zelda brought him to the staircase and set him down. The two climbed the stairs together. They set of down a corridor to another set of stairs. This room had two pits of sand on each side of them and a wall of fire straight ahead. Link went to his left, and followed the hallway. He saw a red panel and a big door; meanwhile Zelda went through the fire and saw another on the other side. Link ignored this and Zelda went back to where she and Link originally came through. Link came back looking excited.

"We're near the big key and big door, we must almost be done!" Link said. Zelda gave a squeal of excitement at the thought of being so close to their destination and her body. Zelda went through the flames once more and took a left while Link went to his left through the sand. The two laughed at this for some reason and continued down the hall. There was another wall of fire here, and behind it, the electrified big key. Zelda grabbed this and the shadow hands appeared.

"Oh, no! There on to me!" Zelda said "You have to help me, Link!" Link nodded.

"You take a route to the switch panel and I will do the same, you will then open the door alright? Don't worry about the monsters, I'll take them." Link said drawing his sword. Zelda nodded and followed Link as he slayed the hands in front of them, Zelda was separated from Link as they came to the sand and fire walls. But Link didn't let her down; he shot them from afar with his bow. With Link, Zelda easily made it to the circle panel and found herself in Link's area. Link fought off the hands as Zelda headed to the door and tossed the key in. The block lowered, the monsters died, the walls of fire were gone, and bridges came across the sand. Link smiled and rejoined Zelda. Together they went up the new staircase. There was a large door up ahead, Link and Zelda smiled and pushed it open, and once it was open a blue light appeared. Link knew to ignore it and climbed the new staircase with Zelda. The new room had a large blue ring with eight small pillars around it. There was also a golden window with a small hole in it. As Link and Zelda entered, the door closed behind them.

"I see you fixed the Spirit Tracks. My congratulations." A bored voice said. It was Byrne, he appeared on the ring. "And you almost did it in time to prevent all of this." Link and Zelda approached Byrne and glared at him. "Unfortunately for you…Malladus has already begun the final stage of rebirth. His resurrection will soon be come complete…and I can't let you cause any more harm."

"Hey, that's what we were going to say!" Zelda said angrily. "Well…maybe WE won't let YOU cause anymore harm!"

"Mm-hmm!" Link nodded in agreement. Byrne gave a small chuckle at this.

"I will become as powerful as the spirits." He said. "And anyone who gets in my way will be eliminated." Byrne raised his clawed gauntlet at them. "No matter who it is."

With that Byrne jumped on top of one of the small pillars, a fence appeared around the ring. As much as Zelda didn't like him, she had to admit he was very skilled. He was like a ninja, jumping from pillar to pillar, throwing spells at them with his flesh hand. Link dodged these, but Zelda simply took them. They had no effect on her.

"Hide behind me, Link!" Zelda advised. Link nodded and hid from Byrne's spells. After awhile, Byrne realized this wasn't working and pointed his gauntlet at Link. Link knew from how Byrne was positioning himself, that his claw could be used as a projectile. Link dodged just as he realized this and Byrne missed. The gauntlet stuck to the ground and Zelda said "Now's our chance! I'll grab his gauntlet, OK?" Link nodded and Zelda rushed and picked the gauntlet up. She tugged and Byrne fell off the pillar on his face. Link rushed at stabbed at Byrne with Zelda's help. After several slashes Byrne jumped back up to the pillars. Link was smiling now, Byrne wasn't all that unbeatable. _**I might win!**_ Link hid behind Zelda and avoided Byrne's smaller curses. Suddenly Byrne raised his hand to perform a larger spell. Link knew that this would affect Zelda if it hit, otherwise Byrne wouldn't use it.

"Zelda run!" Link said. Zelda understood and they avoided this. Byrne sighed and raised his gauntlet again. His aim was true this time and he got Link. Link flew back against the ring and groaned a little. That had actually damaged him a bit, though for some reason it felt weaker than the fist Byrne had originally gave him when they first met. Was he getting stronger? Still he was trapped.

"Don't worry, Link! I'll save you!" Zelda said rushing over and getting the gauntlet off of him. She managed to do it just as Byrne pulled it back, clearly trying to imitate the move the fat bird with the whip did in the ocean temple. Byrne sent more spells which Link avoided by hiding. Zelda got hit by the big spell this time and was groaning. Byrne decided to go for her with the gauntlet but Link distracted Byrne by trying to hit him with an arrow. Byrne dodged it as Link knew he would but went for Link. He missed and Zelda recovered in time to pull him down again. Link and Zelda slashed at Byrne several times until he jumped back. He was no longer on the pillars; he seemed to have given up on a battle for projectiles. It was a melee fight now. This wasn't a bad idea for Byrne; Zelda couldn't keep up with his speed so she was now useless in the fight. Link however could. Link slashed at Byrne, and Byrne blocked his hits with his gauntlet like he did with Alfonzo. Link made it in a deadlock with him, Byrne was winning. But Zelda slashed at Byrne and he was defeated in this. Byrne then glowed purple and black. He was going to charge at Link. Zelda stood in the way and grabbed Byrne. Link ran behind him and slashed Byrne as he struggled with Zelda. Byrne finally managed to overpower Zelda and was fighting with Link. Link dodged a spell that Byrne fired and attacked. Link fought with rapid speed and nearly stabbed Byrne. Byrne shoved Link to the ground and was about to charge again but was once more in a deadlock with Zelda who had intervened. Link stabbed Byrne in the back several times and finally with a gasp of pain, Byrne gave in.

Byrne was kneeling in front of the two, gasping for air and out of pain. "Impossible…" Byrne muttered. "I've trained for longer than you can even imagine. How could a pair of human children beat me?"

"Hmph!" Zelda glared at Byrne. "Yes, we are humans." Zelda said "We have neither the power of spirits nor demons. But when we combine our strength…" Zelda glanced at Link for moment "No one can defeat us!" Zelda then turned back at Link and added "Right, Link?" Link stared at Zelda for a moment, and then smiled and nodded. Zelda gave a small giggle and smiled as well. Link jumped up and high-fived Zelda. He stared at her for awhile and she did the same. Even as a Phantom, Link couldn't feel that he loved her. Zelda was thinking the same of Link. Suddenly images flashed through Link's head. Images of himself defeating an angry Cole with ease and Zelda entering her body…and rewarding him with a kiss. Zelda was thinking similar thoughts. The two then noticed Byrne was escaping and after a moments delay, realized they had been in a dream land and chased after him. Zelda saying

"Hey! Wait! We're not done with you!" Link and Zelda exited through the golden window and started scaling another long staircase to the top of the tower. Byrne was with Cole at the top.

"Cole! Was the resurrection successful?" Byrne asked when he made it to the top. For a moment there was silence, and then Cole sighed.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Byrne." Cole said.

"What? Why?" Byrne asked.

"Even those children proved to be too much for you." Cole said glaring at Byrne. "Well, at least you bought us some time. Behold! The Demon King's return draws nigh!" Cole said pointing in front of him. There was Zelda's body, floating above an altar with black shadows surrounding her. Suddenly Zelda's body groaned and yelled and seemed to be fighting something. Her voice became deeper and the shadows covered her in a tornado. Then suddenly it disappeared. Link and the Phantom Zelda had just arrived. Zelda's eyes were closed and the dark magic was still surrounding her. Suddenly she opened her eyes wide open. They were red with yellow pupils. Malludus had returned. Link and Zelda gasped. Link was amazed at the difference of how Zelda appeared with these eyes and that terrible expression. He no longer felt lust for her beauty but terror. This cold looking girl looked almost unrecognizable to Zelda just because of her eyes, Malladus' eyes.

"No! Not with my body!" Zelda cried.

"Congratulations on your resurrection, your majesty!" Cole said hovering around the now possessed Zelda and bowing.

"Oh, Demon King Malluadus…" this was Byrne "I am the one who has freed you from your prison! Grant me the power I have dreamed of!" Malladus' expression did not change but he raised his hand to Byrne. Byrne gave a sigh of gratitude. Suddenly, a dark energy enveloped around Malladus' hand and a spell blast Byrne. Byrne fell to the floor. Cole smiled and stepped to him. He once more had that merry look in his eyes. Byrne glared.

"Nyee hee hee! Thank you for your help." Cole said. "But you are too gullible, my friend. Don't you know, he will never give you new power? After all…you were once the servant of those disgusting spirits." Byrne clawed out at Cole, but Cole jumped out of the way and danced out of Byrne's reach. "What a buffoon you are." Cole said with that twisted smile. "Thank you for your help, indeed, you blind fool!" Cole turned to face Malladus' "Now then, your majesty! Let us sacrifice these bas creatures in your glory!" Malladus just groaned and ignored Cole. He stretched and massaged his new body, and he looked as though he were in pain. This disgusted Zelda, who felt violated seeing this creature in her body, seeing his hands move all over it, rubbing himself. Link however couldn't help but hope that maybe something went wrong. _**Maybe her body is rejecting him? Maybe demons can't enter something so good! **_However Cole didn't seem worried. "Do not fear, your majesty. You simply aren't used to your new body yet. None of you can stop us!" Cole shouted and snapped his fingers. Suddenly from the sky behind them came a train, it was the same train Link and Zelda had seen with Alfonzo when Cole attacked them. Cole gave a shout of maniacal laughter as he and Malladus flew to the train, saying "Listen well, you lapdogs of the spirits! When the Demon King's revival is complete, you will take your last breaths! I would suggest you tremble in fear!" With that the train took off.

"Noooooo! Give my body back to me!" Zelda cried stretching her hands out where the train left, as though she could grab it and pull it back.

"It's useless, my dear." A familiar voice said. Link and Zelda gasped and turned, it was Anjean. "There's no way you can hope to defeat him now." Anjean sighed and rolled up to them.

"Anjean! Your not…a ghost…are you?" Zelda asked nervously.

"The only ghost here is you, my dear." Anjean said. "I am still among the living." Anjean sighed again and they looked over at Byrne who was no unconscious. Zelda stooped down and picked him up and carried him back with them.

I know, I missed Link and Zelda leaving the Wrecker Phantom and getting a normal one. The reason I did this is because it simply made no sense except for a game device and I can't say

"Hey, Link I can't carry you across the lava in Wrecker Phantom suit because of a game device."

So I skipped it. Not much, but still. Sorry. In fact tell you what; I will release another chapter today, making to two in one


	18. Bow of Light

Link, Zelda, Anjean, and Byrne were in the Spirit Train's passenger car. Byrne was unconscious and sitting on a bench. Link was also sitting on a bench a little ways away. He felt terrible, he felt as though he had wasted his time and really let Zelda down. Even after all of his efforts, Malladus had returned. _**Had I rested one less moment…if I had been there a minute sooner…I could have stopped him. **_Near him was Zelda, no longer a Phantom, and Anjean. The later of the two had just finished explaining her fight with Byrne. From the sound of it, she had underestimated him and he nearly killed her without taking a scratch himself. Anjean had shown them her wounds, which were pretty bad.

"Oh, no…" Zelda whispered when Anjean had finished. Anjean nodded and all three glanced at Byrne.

"I…I couldn't best Byrne." Anjean said. "I have to admit, he has grown very strong. Of course he's had a century to train." Link eyed Anjean at this. _**How long do Lokomo live? **_"And he's always had the drive to succeed." Anjean finished.

"And now Malladus has been resurrected…" Zelda said sadly. Anjean nodded

"Yes. And once he adapts to your body, my dear, even the spirits of good would be nothing to him. They would be unable to seal him away again. Such is the extent of your body's sacred power."

"Is there no way to force him out for good?" Zelda asked hopelessly. Anjean turned and wheeled a little ways before saying

"In the battle between the Demon King and the spirits, there was a weapon called the Bow of Light…perhaps it can drive his spirit from your body."

"There's still hope?" Link asked

"There's not much time to rid her body of his spirit." Anjean said "Resting even a moment could cost you your life. However…" Anjean added.

"However?" Zelda said worriedly.

"If we force the out the spirit of Malladus, my dear, I don't know what will happen to your body. If things go wrong…your spirit might not be able to reenter."

"No…it can't be!" Zelda said, the turned and faced Link sadly. Link wasn't looking happy either, he felt worse than ever. "Could I really be trapped like this…forever? What will I do if I can't return, Link?" Zelda asked. "What will I do?" she looked close to crying, once again it seemed only her inability to do so was holding her back. Link didn't know what she would do.

"It will be OK." Link said gently and put his hand on Zelda's shoulder.

"…Thank you, Link." Zelda said giving him a small smile, which Link returned. Zelda turned to Anjean looking more hopeful. "Where can we find that bow, Anjean?" Zelda asked.

"Go the final temple, the Sand Temple." Anjean said turning to face them. Unlike Zelda, there was no hope on her face, she was very solemn. "The Bow of Light is located deep inside. It will be the most difficult place you've visited yet. It was built only to protect the Bow of Light, so it's full of the trickiest of traps and surprises. The temple will test all of your abilities." Zelda stared sadly at Link. _Do I really have the heart to send him…I can't. _Link seemed to know what Zelda was thinking though, for he placed both his hands on his shoulders and though he was blushing a little bit, he stared at Zelda determinedly and said seriously

"I will go. I will make sure you get your body back, even if it costs me my life."

"Link…" Zelda whispered.

"I want to help you. I'd never live with myself if I just ignored you in your time of need." Link said. Zelda was quiet, she felt a rush affection for Link, she loved him more than anything right now.

"OK…We have to go now. There's no time to be scared." If Link wanted to do this, Zelda wanted to be sure he wouldn't fail. "We must return before Malladus fulfills his plan." Link nodded and both turned to face Byrne again. "Please make sure Byrne remains unharmed, Anjean." Zelda said. Anjean stared at her surprise.

"Are you sure, my dear?" Anjean asked. "He is the one who stole your body, after all."

"Yes, but once I reclaim it…" Zelda said, a sly smile on her face. "I would like to have words with him!" Zelda began punching the air in front of her. Link and Anjean smiled and laughed at this. Byrne opened one eye and glared at Zelda, but nobody noticed this and Byrne pretended to be unconscious. "Let's go find the Bow of Light." Zelda said when she had finished "But do the Spirit Tracks even go to the desert?"

"This Force Gem will serve that very purpose." Anjean said "It will open tracks into the desert." With that a Force Gem appeared.

"What? Anjean…" Zelda began but Anjean cut her off.

"As I'm sure you know, happiness and gratitude create energy. Well, I'm deeply grateful to both of you for all your help. I cannot help you directly, but I can at least give you this Force Gem."

"Thank you, Anjean!" Zelda said. Link nodded and smiled, then took the Force Gem. It disappeared and the rail map showed several Spirit Tracks from the Ocean Realm going to the sand. "Let's head to the Ocean Realm and from there, the desert!" Zelda said. Link nodded and started the train, heading to the Ocean Realm. When he was on the tracks and in the desert Link spoke

"Hey, Zelda, can you go in the passenger car and ask Anjean where the sanctuary is?" Link asked. Zelda nodded and floated through the wall of the car. She came back out a moment later and said

"Anjean says it should be at a dead end of tracks, and that you ought to be careful of malgyorgs…sand sharks." Zelda added at Links confused expression. Link nodded and looked at the rail map. Link traced his finger around it and saw the sanctuary. Link then made a route there. "Look at that huge statue!" Zelda said pointing. Indeed it was a big statue; it was like those from everywhere else but forty feet tall. "Who do you think built it?" Link shrugged and suddenly shot his cannon. A malgyorg had come and it had tried to jump on the train, Link had gotten it just in time. There were other shark fins in the sand, Link blew his horn and they jumped. Link shot one, then blew again, then shot the other. The malgyorg threat was gone. Link continued until he saw the sanctuary, and then stopped. The sand sanctuary was predictably full of sand; it was an oasis as well. There was a large body of water near the station and stone paths. There were two gossip stones and stone slab. "This heat is something else. I'd just melt…if I had a body, that is. Tee hee." Zelda giggled, but suddenly looked more serious. "Seriously, though, I can't help but wonder what's become of my poor body…"

"Don't worry, Zelda." Link said "If Malladus wants to use your body for the rest of his life, he will want to take good care of it. So it should be in fine condition when you reenter it."

"Thank you, Link…" Zelda said, Link's advice had been comforting and it made sense. But there was still something that made Zelda feel uneasy. "And…if I can't reenter it?" Link stared at her for a moment, thinking, and then said

"If you can't reenter and must always be a spirit…well…I'll still be your friend if that makes you feel any better." Link said blushing "I don't mind if you follow me the rest of my life…it's actually pretty nice." Link went redder. Zelda felt a lot of love for Link at this and said

"Thank you…I really appreciate what you have done for me…and whether I get my body or not I still want to be your friend…" they both smiled at each other and there was an awkward silence. Link cleared his throat and said

"Err…I'll just look around then." Zelda nodded and Link went to the stone slab which said

_Find me by blasting the area where the gazes of the stone statues meet._

Link looked at the gossip stones, their gazes didn't meet. Link pondered for a bit, then played the Song of Awakening for one, it opened its eye and said

_Do not dwell on what's inside, instead, gaze outward. There are no statues here._

Link then spoke to the other via the song.

_The lake forms the sea. The paths forms the rails._

Link then realized; this sanctuary was a map of the sand rails. The statues on the rails would point to the sanctuary entrance here. Link boarded the train and searched for the statues, killing malgyorgs on his way and taking note of their direction. After five minutes of note taking Link went back. Link looked at his map where all the statues were facing and bombed an area of sand. The bomb exploded and revealed a trap door and staircase. Link opened the trap door and climbed down the staircase. Link headed to his right and headed in a new room. There was sand everywhere, some of it raining down. However in the middle was one sand free altar. Link walked on this and saw a Lokomo. He had dark skin and light colored hair that definitely came from being in the desert all the time; he also had a blonde mustache. He was wearing tan and brown robes and like all the others except Byrne, he was on a set of wheels.

"Um, hi. Nice to meet you. You are the keeper of this realm, aren't you?" Zelda asked the Lokomo. "Anjean told us about you."

"Oh, hello there!" The Lokomo said brightly. "So wonderful you could make it, Your Highness. And you too, young man! Call me Rael; it's my name! I am guardian of the Sand Realm!"

"The Lokomo of this realm is awfully different from Embrose, don't you think?" Zelda asked Link who laughed and nodded.

"Hm? Oh you mean Embrose. Yes, he can be quite stuffy at times." Rael said. "Anyway you came here to fix the tracks, right?"

"Exactly!"

"Now that's music to my ears." Rael said. "After all, you are a key component in restoring this area's lost Spirit Tracks. I take it you've heard of the Lokomo Songs then?"

"Of course!"

"I'll teach you your part now, so listen closely. Then play what I just played!" Link nodded and pulled out the Spirit Flute. Rael lead Link through a six note song, it was the trickiest yet. Link had to catch his breath again each time he finished playing. Link mastered it on his first try though, since he was getting better. They stopped after doing it three times and Rael said "That was music to my ears. Would you care to try a real performance now?" Link nodded at this and set the rail map in the middle of them. "All right let's get started. And don't let my part confuse you, young man!" Link nodded again and they started it slow like all the others. After the slow version was done they speeded up. Zelda closed her eyes and listened to the new song. She sighed when it was over and the rail map glowed. It showed Spirit Tracks to the Sand Realm coming from both the Ocean and Fire Realm. "The Spirit Tracks to the Sand Temple are restored!" Rael said. "…Now there is something I must tell you." Rael said more seriously "In order to reach the Sand Temple, you must pass three trials." Link nodded "First, you will encounter the big eye that looms in the shadows. Then you will need to navigate the twisted tunnels. And finally, you will face the impenetrable temple. What awaits you there, you will have to see for your own eyes, young man." Link gulped and nodded.

"You did it! Nice job, Link!" Zelda cheered.

"Thanks." Link said smiling.

"I wonder what the three trials are going to be like. Anyway, let's get going to the sand temple! Thank you so much, Rael!" Zelda said politely.

"Stay safe as you retrieve the Bow of Light." Rael said. Link nodded and left the Sand Sanctuary and then back to the train. Ironically the Sand Temple was close to Link, but to get there, he had to go to the Fire Realm, do the trials, and come back on another section of track. Link sighed and headed to the Fire Realm part of the desert. He was attacked by Malgyorgs once but easily defeated them. Link began to approach a cave, as he came closer Zelda said

"The first trial is the great eye in the dark…whatever that is, it gives me the creeps." Link laughed a little bit and entered the cave, suddenly after a few moments upon entering; he heard a loud thump and gasped. The monster he had seen at the Snow Realm, the large one in the cave, it was here too, or at least it was another one of the species. The monster chased after Link, and Link blasted it with his cannon. The monster fell behind and Zelda whimpered "Look! It-it's that thing again!" Link nodded.

"Just look away like last time and keep an eye on the road for me."

"O-OK…good luck, Link." Zelda said turning around. Link nodded and shot the monster four more times and it fell back once more. There were barrels all over the wall and they had explosion symbols on them. The monster chased at Link again, this time it closed the mouth hiding its eye. Link shot at the monster but it had no effect. Then Link suddenly had an idea and shot the barrel near where the monster was and the monster gave a cry of pain and opened its eye. Link shot at it several more times and it fell back. "What w-was that?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing…" Link said as he shot another barrel and the monster opened its eye. Link shot again and it fell back. Soon after it was rushing at Link again, its eye was open but it was going faster than ever. Link shot and shot and just a second before the monster leapt on him, Link finished him off. The monster gave a cry of pain and crumpled on the ground, dead. "It's safe now…" Link said.

"Thank goodness…" Zelda whispered. It wasn't long till the cave ended and Link stopped outside. "Whew! We seemed to have made it through somehow." Zelda said. "Catch your breath. When you're ready, let's move on to the second trial!" Link looked ahead and saw another hole in a wall, was there another cave? Link went to the passenger car and grabbed a glass of milk. After he finished it, he started the train up again and went through the hole with the gate. To Link's surprise it did not lead to a cave, but to open desert. There were two directions for Link to go, left and right. Link went to the right and found himself back at the entrance.

"Wh-what the?" Link gasped when he saw where he was. Link backtracked into the gate which was no doubt the twisted tunnels and went to his left this time. The same thing happened. Link went in again and was about to try his right again, thinking it was a mistake.

"Link let's just go back." Zelda said. Link sighed and reversed, to his surprise though, he ended up in a different area.

"Wh-what?" Link gasped.

"Link! Try reversing again!" Zelda said. Link nodded and reversed, once again they were in a new area. Link reversed again and was back at the entrance. "Oh…well…we're on the right track!" Zelda said. Link nodded, he went back in and reversed, reversed again, and tried the right direction. Once again he appeared in a new area. This time there were no gates to enter; the second trial was over with. "Just one more…" Zelda said. Link saw the temple up ahead and drove to it. There were cannons on all walls. Link drove up and bombed three on one wall, getting hit once. Link drove cautiously to the next, and slyly hit a canon. Link then hit another, and Link hit the final cannons bomb with his own and destroyed it. Link snuck out to the entrance and destroyed both cannons without being seen. Link headed to the final wall and got hit twice by the cannons. Link hit two of them and just barely blocked the thirds attack before destroying it. The door of the sealed temple opened. Link drove around again and was about to enter when Zelda cried "Bunny! Go get it, Link!" Link smiled and took out the net. It was tough getting this bunny. Link was hot and tired in the desert, but the bunny still had a lot of energy. Finally, Link caught the yellow bunny and put it with the other ones, all of whom were sleeping. "Awww…." Zelda said as she watched them. Link smiled and closed the door, then went back in the train and drove to the temple entrance.

Shorter than the others, no? Hmmm I think the longest one was the Linebeck chapter. Hope you enjoyed. Also I'll give you…wait for it….THREE chapters tomorrow!


	19. Sand Temple

Link stopped the train in the temple and hoped off.

"Whew, we made it! Now for the real challenge…are you ready?" Zelda said.

"After what Anjean said? No. But I know I will succeed!" Link said and Zelda smiled.

"Good! Then let's give it our all and find the Bow of Light!" Link nodded and headed through the door to the real temple. The temple was filled with sand and looked ancient. "It smells awfully dusty in here, and the air is very stagnant." Zelda said. "It bothered me at first, but I'm kind of getting used to these dungeons…" Zelda didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Link however smiled a bit at this. "Anyway, let's go find the Bow of Light!" Link nodded and walked on a pit of sand. There was what looked like a wooden hammer and a switch. Link hit the switch and the hammer swung. There was a boulder on the sand was well, it surprisingly didn't sink. There was also a cracked wall. Link placed a bomb near this, but it didn't have any effect. Link ignored this and went to his right. Boulders came down a hall, ones and twos in a row. Link dodged them and went into an empty space at the side the boulders weren't getting. The floor below him fell and revealed a pitfall. Link gasped and clung on to the edge.

"LINK!" Zelda cried. Link tried to look calm, so he wouldn't scare Zelda, and put his foot on the ledge and climbed up as a boulder passed. Link didn't have time to rest, though, the boulders were still coming. Link dodged them all and got out of the hall on the other side. In front of him was a sealed door; to his right was a large gap and several boulders going through a pit of sand. Behind them was an eye switch. Link pulled out the bow and, with careful timing, shot the arrow when there were no boulders guarding the eye. The eye turned blue and the sealed door opened. Link headed in the door and saw a room of sand once more, this one had a chest.

"Phew, I'm actually glad your not here to help me as a Phantom." Link said "I would have a hard time getting you around this. Zelda giggled at this.

"Yeah…" She said as Link opened the chest and pulled out a single rupee.

"What—?" suddenly the door snapped shut and three stalfos appeared. Link shot and killed them with his arrows but more kept coming up from the sand. Link had to kill nine in all. Once they were also defeated the door opened again and a chest appeared. Link opened it and it contained a key. Link headed back out the door and avoided boulders as he went back to where he started. Since the boulders were moving with him, it was easier this time. Link looked to his right and saw a locked door. Link placed the key in and the door opened, Link headed up a staircase in the door. There was a spiky pillar on the ground in front of Link. Link crossed the ledge he was standing on, to the other ledge and saw there was nothing there, so jumped off that ledge and went forward. Link saw two sand monsters up ahead and slashed them. His sword didn't seem to hurt them and just went in them. Link tried all of his weapons. None were effective. Link gulped and ran from these to his right. In this room Link saw three spiky pillars move about, they went at different speeds so Link had no trouble with dodging them and climbed up another staircase. Link entered a door which closed behind him. In this room were three stalfos, but these ones had helmets and carried swords. They charged at Link and slashed their swords wildly; Link got hit once but blocked the rest. Link jumped back and shot arrows at one of them. After three hits, it fell. Link dodged as the others swung their sword at him and hit another twice, dodged again, then finished it off. Link then turned to the final one and shot arrows at it until it died. The door up ahead opened and Link entered it and took a right, there was a pedestal with a stick thing on it. It had a golden head with two large horns on it.

"What's this…stick thing?" Zelda asked as Link took it. "Do you think we'll need it to solve a puzzle? Anjean did say this temple was full of tricks and traps…" Suddenly there was a great rumbling as if an earthquake had hit them and Zelda gasped. "Th-that was loud. I hope it is all right that we took that wand…"

"Whatever happened is done, I may as well take it." Link said pocketing the wand. Link suddenly noticed the door leading out was still closed. "Now what?" Link asked.

"Oooh! Maybe you use the wand to open the door!" Zelda suggested. Link nodded and tapped the door with the wand. Nothing happened. He started rapidly hitting it. Nothing happened to the door, but a green orb flew from the wand and all the sand it touched rose and grew hard. "So that's what the wand is for…" Zelda said. Link stood near a ledge and raised the sand under himself, he rose with it and climbed the ledge and jumped back to where he first entered. The spiky pillars were now all moving at the same speed in a line. Link raised the sand in front of one and it was separated from the others. Link used this as a gap to get past the blocks. Link then made it back to the two sand monsters and the door closed behind him. Link knew what to do though and waved the wand at the now retreating monsters. They rose and grew hard, no longer able to move. Link slashed at them and crushed them into pieces. The doors opened and Link made it back to the area where one long spiky pillar was. However, it was moving now. Link stopped it from hitting him with the sand and raised himself onto a platform and crossed the now stopped pillar and down the stairs. Link went to his left and saw a large unspiked pillar. It was blocking Link so he pushed it off the ledge with his wand. Link then did another on a higher ledge and climbed this ledge by raising the sand from under him. Link was on a patch of sand with three eye switches. Two were raised. Link raised himself and shot them both, then jumped down and shot the lower one. A door to the north opened. Link ran forward and saw another pillar on the sand. Link hid in a gap and made the pillar go past him, then went to the lower part of a ledge and climbed it with the sand. Link moved the pillar to where he could cross it and went to the other side. Here there were two of the sand monsters. Link killed them both using his wand and saw a fenced in pit of sand. Some of the sand was outside the fence and Link raised himself above it and read a message on the wall. It had a picture of three eyes on one side, and one on the other. In the middle was a key with yellow lines drawn across it. The clue read

_Between one and three ... is where ... the key ... hides._

"Hmmm cryptic, but I have no idea how to read this diagram, do you?" Zelda asked. Link shook his head and stared, then suddenly he thought of something.

"This must mean the key is somewhere in this room between the three eyes I shot and the one to the right.

"Good idea!" Zelda said. Link went back to the three keys and looked through the middle of the room for it. He found nothing. Link headed back to his right where the boulders were falling, only now they did it in pairs so Link couldn't dodge them. Link went further right and raised himself on a platform past the boulders and walked along it, then jumped before the next wave of boulders came and made it back to the area where the boulders ran blocking the eye. Only the door had closed again, the eye was red again, and the boulders had stopped, there were only two left on the sand. Both were guarding the eye. Link now knew what the rumbling had been. Link moved these with his new Sand Wand and hit the eye with his bow. The door lowered itself and Link entered. There were several things moving under the sand. Link used the wand to raise these creatures, they were octoroks but sand based. Link raised himself and slashed on two of the ones he raised until they were dead. Link then raised the third and slashed it to death as well. Link then raised himself to the higher level and opened the chest here. To his surprise it wasn't the key but twenty rupees.

"This can't be right…" Link said.

"Where is the key?" Zelda asked. Link stepped on the sand and raised himself, perhaps there was a ledge up here that Link couldn't see. As Link raised the sand, Zelda yelled "Link, the key!" Link turned and saw the key spring up from the raised sand.

"They…they buried this key…" Link said weakly.

"Phew…you sure lucked out…if you hadn't raised that by accident or I hadn't seen it, we may have never found that key…" Zelda said. Link nodded and went back to the entrance point. There was nothing else to do but get rid of the cracked wall. Link looked at this sand wand and used it to push the boulder on the hammer catapult. Link hit the switch and the hammer hit the boulder at the cracked wall. Both the boulder and the wall broke. Link headed down a set of stairs and came across a patch of what was clearly quicksand. Link raised the sand with his wand and crossed it to a locked door. Link opened it and saw a sealed door, two switches, and two sand monsters inside. Quickly thinking, Link hardened both sand monsters and placed them on the switch. The door opened and Link headed through. Link saw a large path of sinking sand which led to two directions. One went right, the other left. Link took the left direction, waving the wand as he walked in the sand and using his shield to block arrows coming from guns on the walls. Link made it, to his amazement, to a stamp station. Link smiled and took out Niko's book, he stamped it with the temple stamp which was orange and had a picture of the temple with a strange eye on top. Link closed the book and went the other direction on the quicksand. Once again he waved the wand and used his shield to protect him. Link would occasionally stop at stone ledges to rest. Link made it to a final ledge with a staircase and on the top was a pit of sand with a large block on it. It had a blue triangle point, and on the sand was a metal hole in the shape of a triangle. Link quickly realized what to do and moved the block with his wand until the point fell in the container. A blue door opened and Link entered. The next room had a large gap, across from which was a cracked door. There was a floor switch and boulders kept coming from the wall next to Link. Link stopped one of the boulders with his sand wand and placed it on a catapult facing the cracked door. Link pushed the floor switch and saw, as he expected, a bridge form from across the catapult to the door. Link thought for a moment on how to activate the catapult and then pulled out his boomerang and hit the switch. The boulder flew and destroyed the cracked door. Link stopped another boulder with his sand wand and used the sand to push it on the floor switch. The bridge stayed and Link crossed the bridge and entered where the cracked door used to be. Link then found himself in a pit of sand with two blocks, each with one end with a blue triangle point, the other with a red circle. There were four containers, two were blue, and the others were red. There was a blue door to Link's left and up north, after a bit of quicksand, was a red door. Link pushed the blocks until the red circles were in their containers, the red door opened, and behind it was another door, a big door. Link was close to the dungeons leading monster (he was sure this dungeon had one like the others). Link then moved the blue points into their containers and the blue door opened. To Link's relief the red door stayed opened as well. Link headed through the blue door and hid in a nook to avoid a rolling spiked pillar. Link then continued left and killed two stalfos warriors with his bow which were nearby. Link then saw a pit of sand and two rolling spiked pillars. Link preformed a complicated move in which he stopped them at different areas with the sand wand and climbed one of them, kept it still and lowered the sand near the other one and raised it when they were connected. Link used this new bridge to climb the ledge south and pressed a switch which opened a door on the other ledge to the north. Link crossed the bridge again and came over to where the door was. Once he entered, the door closed behind him again and the sand octoroks attacked. Link raised two of them and himself with them and slayed them both. Link used a wall of sand he created as a shield against the projectiles sent by the two others. When they went back in the sand, Link raised it again and slayed both. The two doors opened and Link continued onward. The next room was empty and had just sand.

"What? Nothing here?" Zelda exclaimed.

"Wait…" Link said pulling out his wand and moving it all over the sand, several rupees came out…and the big key.

"Brilliant! I should have known!" Zelda said. Link collected the rupees and the key. Link then went back to the pillar rolling where he first came and hid in the nook. When it passed Link raised the quicksand near the big door and brought the key with him. Link threw it in the door and it opened. Link was relieved; he had expected the shadow hands to attack. Link headed down the new staircase and went past a path of sand, raising himself at the final area to the next ledge. Link read the tablet

_Step into the blue light to return to the temple entrance._

And ignored the light as always. Link went down set of stairs up ahead and found himself in a large sand pit. There were four catapults all around the room, and a fossil of some large, dead creature in the middle of the room. The skull looked like a stalfos' but stalfos's heads weren't larger than Link and it had a horned helmet. Link approached this and suddenly its sockets turned red and the gate behind Link shut itself. Suddenly long bones appeared under the skulled head, it looked as though Link were staring at a stalfos headed giraffe. Some of the bones were armored as well. But it had nothing else but these bones, no arms nor legs. Nevertheless it was terrifying. Link ran and a hole appeared in the bottom bone. A boulder fired out of it and barely missed Link. Link suddenly had an idea as he kept running, the hole opened again and Link made a protective wall of sand around him. The boulder destroyed the sand wall it hit, but stopped. Link used the sand to guide it to a catapult and fired it using the switch. The boulder flew at the monster and its bottom bone shattered into hundreds of pieces. The demon opened a new hole and Link stopped. This time three boulders came out. Link managed to stop them all, two of them destroyed each other, but Link used the third on the catapult and used this on the monsters bone. It shattered as well. Its next bone had armor on it. The large stalfos monster opened its mouth and a laser came out. Link ran for his life, avoiding the laser, and soon the monster stopped. It opened a hole and shot boulders again. Link destroyed two and used the final one on the catapult. This time though, it didn't hurt the monster, its armor was too powerful.

"Link, the boomerang!" Zelda cried. Link nodded and jumped as the monster sent a laser at him. It sent more boulders at Link and Link put a new one on the catapult. Link noticed that there was a gap in the monter's armor, when it fell from its last bone, part of the armor broke. The monsters left side was exposed. Link left the boulder and headed to his left. The monster followed him with its gaze. Link threw the boomerang at his right side, it hit the switch and the boulder on the catapult flew at the monster and destroyed its bone. This time the armor fell from its back. The monster sent another laser at Link. Link ran from this but the laser followed him. Link kept on running and running, and then finally the laser stopped. The monster charged its boulders again. And Link made a wall, but this time the boulders were red and faster. The monster sent three of these, they easily destroyed Link's wall of sand and got Link as well. "Link, use more sand!" Zelda said. Link nodded and strafed to his right as the skeleton monster used another normal laser on him. The monster charged its boulders. Link rapidly sent sand all over the place to form a great wall; he did this even as the monster fired. When there was only one boulder left, Link put it on the catapult and ran to the opposite side. The monster followed him with its gaze. Link used the boomerang and hit the switch again. The monster lost another bone and piece of armor. Its bottom right side was exposed. This was the last bone left. Link dodged a laser and the monster chased him with another laser. The stalfos creature then sent more boulders. Link destroyed all but one and placed it on the catapult. Link then ran until the boulder was on his upper left. Link sent the boomerang and the boulder crushed the monsters last bone. Its helmet fell off to reveal a crystal. Link knew this was its weakness. The monster began hoping around as a head. It wasn't quite defeated. Link buried it in sand with the sand wand and trapped it. Link then raised himself and slashed the crystal on the back of the monsters head. The monster cut through the sand and was after Link, but it wasn't much of a threat anymore. Link raised more sand and himself again. Link slashed once more and continued until the monster was dead. The monster hoped in the air and gave a terrible scream. Then it exploded. The sand in the room began to disappear and revealed a staircase down. Link headed down the staircase. Link took a right and saw on a pedestal a golden bow that reminded Link of the Lokomo Seal in the Tower of Spirits. This was the Bow of Light. Link picked it up and examined it. It even came with its own quiver.

"So this is the famous Bow of Light…I sense a strange power coming from it..." Zelda said "But I'm awfully worried about what Malladus and Cole are up to. Let's hurry and tell Anjean what happened." Link nodded and saw a blue light appear on another ledge. On this ledge was an eye switch, yet it looked different, like the eye on the stamp and was bigger. Link shot it with an arrow but nothing happened. Link then focused the arrows power and made the arrow an arrow of light and shot again. The eye closed and a bridge formed. Link crossed the bridge and entered the light. Link was back at the train station. Link and Zelda entered the passenger car to tell Anjean what happened.

I will release another in 5 hours.


	20. The Lokomo Sword and Compass of Light

"Anjean! Anjean! We got the Bow of Light!" Zelda yelled, flying to Anjean as fast as a train, while Link jogged behind her. "We won't have any trouble defeating Malladus now!" Zelda said and Anjean smiled.

"Good! A arrow from that bow is sure to fell him." She said.

"Right!" Zelda said, as she got closer to Anjean. "Now all we is to know where Malladus is." Anjean sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you there." The effect of Anjean's words was enormous, Zelda tripped mid-flight and did a somersault past Anjean and landed on the floor and Link stopped running. All the cheeriness that had been on the couples faces was gone and both looked very disappointed.

"Really…?" Link asked weakly.

"But, Anjean…" Zelda said sadly.

"While you two were busy obtaining the Bow of Light, I have been searching for the Demon Train." Anjean said. "That's the train Malladus used to escape. But he and Cole have hidden it too well…" Anjean sighed and feeling of hopelessness came on them all.

"There is a way to find it." A low voice said.

"Hm?" Everyone turned to the source of the voice, it was Byrne. He was awake and clutching his chest, he was gasping for air as well. He seemed to also be fighting an internal battle. "Byrne? I didn't realize you were awake…" Anjean said.

"The area where Malladus was resurrected…below that altar is a hidden section of tracks. Somewhere down there is the Compass of Light." Byrne said, everyone gathered around Byrne and waited for a moment while he caught his breath. "Only it can lead you to the Demon Train." Byrne still seemed to be fighting an internal battle, it looked as though he wasn't sure he ought to be saying this.

"Byrne…" Zelda whispered.

"The Demon Train comes from the Dark Realm." Byrne continued. "But even Cole didn't know its exact location at first. He had me build a compass with the spirits' power, to find the Demon Train in the Dark Realm. Since the compass uses the power of the spirits, Cole and Malladus can't touch it. That's why it should still be where we left it." Byrne stopped and stared at them all. Everyone was smiling at Byrne, paticularly Anjean.

"…Thank you." Zelda said quietly. "Let's go, Link. We must get the compass as soon as we can." Link gave her a smile and nodded. Anjean turned and looked at Link with a very serious look.

"Before you go, take this, Link. I think you're the one who is meant to use it." Link and Zelda stared curiously at Anjean as she put out her hand and with a flash of blue light, a sword appeared. It was a very impressive looking blade, its hilt looked like the Lokomo symbol, and it was turquoise had a bit of gold for the triangle. The blade itself had symbols etched on it that reminded Link of Spirit Tracks. "This Lokomo Sword is a gift from one of the spirits." Anjean said "As such, it is filled with sacred energy. It has felled many evil creatures in its lifetime. Until now, only the spirits have wielded this blade…use it wisely!"

"Thank you…" Link said taking the blade and examining it. Link then turned and slashed the air with it several times, getting used to the feel of the blade. Zelda giggled and gave Link a round of applause.

"Link, Princess, it's in your hands now." Anjean said.

With that, Link set off to the Tower of Spirits. But just as he was leaving the temple, he finally saw one. One of the Locomotive Musings Ferrus had talked about…and this one had the crystal. Link shot it with the cannon and the green crystal turned yellow.

"Eh?" Zelda said when she saw this and Link stopped the train. "What in the world could this be?" Zelda floated up to the musing. Some text is appearing. It's faded, and I can't make out very much. Let's see…'pass through…the gate either way…steam whistle…will open…' Uh…I don't understand it at all. What does it mean?" Link however had read what Ferrus wrote and drove through the gate, pulling his whistle. As he pulled the whistle a yellow portal appeared. Link suddenly found himself on a different part of the map and stopped the train to look around. Zelda, however, didn't seem to have expected this as much as Link. "…Goodness. What was that light? It seemed to teleport us somewhere else…this must be how ancient people traveled back and forth between realms! We should make notes of these spots where we can teleport! Being able to move around like this might be useful for the future." Link nodded and looked around. They were still in the desert, but were on the other side of the trials. Link drove to the tower. A few miniblin pirates showed up near the ocean but Link easily handled them. He also defeated a malgyorg. As Link approached the tower he gently put the train at a stop and climbed out. Link ran up the long stairs again and when he caught his breath he noticed a blue portal near the top room. Link entered this and to his relief he was back where he was when he and Zelda had opened the large door to the battle ring. Link headed through the doors and past the battle ring again. Link climbed out the window and ran up the long staircase once more. After a moment of catching his breath Link saw a stamp station and pulled out Niko's book. Link stamped it and saw that this stamp was black and featured the Tower of Spirits surrounded by some sort of cog. Link turned to the altar where Zelda's body used to be. There were two eyes similar to the one at the Sand Temple here. Link pulled out the Bow of Light and charged up an arrow then shot at one eye. Link shot again at the other and a staircase rose from the floor. Link was in a hallway which had another staircase. Link went down here as well. He was in a safe zone. "Who knew there was somewhere like this under the altar?" Zelda said. "All right, Link! It's time to end this! Together, we can take on anything! Right?"

"Maybe…" Link muttered. Zelda heard this.

"You say that now, but I know you'll come around and do the right thing."

"What makes you say that?" Link asked

"It's because you've got such a big heart. Tee hee!" Zelda giggled and Link found himself going red. "Remember what Anjean told us, Link." Zelda added "Your new sword is filled with energy. That means you don't have to grab Tears of Light to attack the Phantoms." Link smiled and nodded. Link then headed down a hallway and went down a staircase. The room here was dark. "It's so dark in here, Link…we've been in a room like this before, haven't we? Then let's do what we did last time!" Zelda said. Link nodded and went to his right; he saw a Phantom and stabbed it.

"C'mon Zelda." Link said. Zelda nodded and possessed the Phantom. Link looked around a bit and couldn't find anything else in the room so took Zelda back up the staircase. Link went to his left where there was a row of spikes. Zelda passed this and pressed a switch on the other side which lowered the spikes. The room here was full of lava, and there was a Phantom patrolling. On the other side was a sealed door. Zelda got in the lava and said

"Wait…OK now." As the other Phantom passed. Link saw two switches, each behind a wall. Link took out his boomerang and made it hit both. The door on the other side opened to reveal a staircase. Zelda took Link here and they went down back into the dark floor. Link followed the light of the torches and saw a stone tablet which said

_Sometimes darkness can open up a path._

Link looked around at the torches and began blowing them all out. When the last one was gone a door to the west opened. Link walked blindly through the door and saw a light, it was a Torch Phantom. "Get ready…" Link whispered. Zelda nodded and left her Phantom and possessed the other once its back had been stabbed by Link. Link then backtracked with Zelda leading and made his way across the lava and back into the other section of the dark floor. Zelda led the way, avoiding Phantoms and set two torches near a sealed door on fire. The door opened and Link and Zelda entered. They were in a room with red carpets and sand all around them. "Stay here, Zelda…I'll scout." Link said. Zelda nodded as Link went through the sand to his left; there were two ledges with torches here. It was clear to Link that Zelda would need to light these. There was a stalfos warrior here as well which Link killed with the Bow of Light. Link knew from this battle that these arrows were definitely stronger. Link then went to the other, larger, pit of sand and saw only two ledges. There were stalfos warriors here too. Link easily defeated them with the Bow of Light and returned to Zelda. "OK, I know what we need to do…but it's risky." Link said

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"I need you to cross this pit of sand." Link said indicating the pit with the torches. "And something will likely happen when you light the torches, on that pit." Link pointed at the larger one.

"B-but how will I cross?"

"I think the Sand Wand will help…it makes the sand a little harder. But Zelda, if you start sinking, leave the Torch Phantom, alright?"

"O-OK…" Zelda said.

"Follow me…" Link said heading to the torch ledge and making a path with the sand. To his relief, there was no scream. Zelda was safe. Zelda lit the torch and then they turned their attention to the next. Once it was lit, they hard a sound come from the other ledge. Zelda gave a sigh of relief. "Let's go back." Link said making another path. Zelda nodded and followed Link. When they were back, Link held his hand up to indicate that Zelda should stay still, and searched the other sand pit again. When he came back he said "There's a chest there now, I need to climb on your shield and jump from there to get to it."

"Can the sand hold us both at once?"

"I hope so." Link said getting on a ledge and hitching a ride of Zelda's shield. Link made a path as Zelda walked; this one was longer than the last. When they made it, Link opened the chest which contained a key. Link then led Zelda back past the sand and, with a small sigh the both of them, went back through the door they entered from. Zelda found a stone slab and read it with Link

_Only those with special powers know the secret._

Neither had a clue what this meant so Link silently headed backed to the room above and went back in the lava with Zelda. Zelda snuck past the other Phantom and they went back, once again, to the dark floor. "We must have missed something…" Link said as he went past the door he opened by blowing all the torches. Then he saw it, a little corridor he hadn't seen. Link headed here and saw two sealed doors. Link went on, with Zelda leading the way and occasionally lighting torches. Link saw a Warp Phantom up ahead and hid to his left. Zelda followed and lit a new torch. It revealed a stone slab which said

_Look for two eyes in the dark. Shoot them with light to get the key._

"That Phantom was guarding something…" Zelda said.

"Alright, you stay here and chat with it for a little while." Link said and with that struck the slab with his sword making a noise.

"It's coming from here…" Zelda whispered. Link nodded and set off in the other direction. Link went where the Warp Phantom was and saw and eye. Link shot it while Zelda was talking about methods of keeping their armor shiny with the Warp Phantom. Link snuck up behind the Warp Phantom and stabbed it.

"Go Zelda!" Link said. Zelda nodded and left the Torch Phantom, and possessed the Warp Phantom.

"Yay, I have the power to warp now!" Zelda said happily. "…Wait…that's it! That tablet from before, it meant the Phantoms, they have special powers!" Zelda said. "Come on, Link!" Link nodded and followed Zelda back to the pool of lava and into the other section of the dark room. Link watch as Zelda approached a Phantom and said "I FORGOT THE SECRET." In the most realistic Phantom voice she could.

"NORTH-WEST CORNER." Was the reply. Zelda turned to face Link and beckoned when the Phantom was gone. Link followed Zelda to the wall and looked around. The corner looked completely ordinary. Link pulled out a bomb and placed it on the wall, with an explosion a hole appeared, light flooded from it and Link and Zelda entered. They were in a narrow hallway, Link went to his left and up a staircase, and they were in another hallway. They went through a door and found themselves in a room with a sand pit and a pile of blocks. There was a ledge nearby and Zelda, who was now definitely the tallest as a Phantom, jumped up to look.

"Oooh! There's a switch here, Link!" Zelda said. Link beckoned Zelda near the sand pit and raised himself with the wand. Link climbed on Zelda and rode to the switch. Link jumped off and stepped on it. Nothing visibly happened but Zelda gave a gasp.

"What happened, Zelda?" Link asked.

"Phantom eyes appeared!" Zelda said "I can see in two different places other than here, now."

"Any place worth warping to?"

"There's switch panels on a sand pit and one of them is a circle just like the one in this room." Zelda said pointing to a switch panel Link had not seen. "Stand there and when the Phantom Eye is floating near the switch panel I will warp." Link nodded and went to the panel. After ten seconds, Zelda warped and Link found himself in the sandy pit. The eye missed him as it passed and Link wasn't caught. Link went to his right and saw a path of spikes. And suddenly as the Phantom Eye made its round, Zelda appeared, next to the sand pit, and near the spikes.

"Zelda, mind checking it out past here?" Link asked pointing to the spikes. Zelda nodded and walked past.

"There's a sand pit, so I can't do anything here. Oh! But there's a triangle switch pad, just like the one on the sand pit. I can give you access to this room!" Link went to the other switch pad and found himself where Zelda was.

"Thanks!" Link said. Link headed past the sand pit, Zelda spoke of. On the other side was a Warp Phantom guarding something. It saw Link and chased after him. Link lured it to the sand, where the foolish Phantom sank. Link went back to see what it had been guarding, it was an eye. Link shot it and heard a faint rumbling. Link went back to the switch pad and switched places with Zelda again. She walked out the spiked off area and said

"A door opened, you must have pressed a switch or something."

"Yeah, where's the door?"

"Over around there." Zelda said. Link nodded and headed to the door. Inside Link saw a miniblin on a statue and backtracked.

"Mind giving me a ride?" Link asked.

"Not at all." Zelda said. Link raised the sand and rode Zelda's shield. When they made it back to the miniblin, Link shot it off the statue with his arrow. The miniblin died and the statue exploded. Link saw a mountain of blocks and ignored this. To his left was a ledge with an arrow shooter. To its right Link couldn't see what was there, but had a feeling it was an eye. Link hit the shooter with his boomerang until it was facing the right. Link shot an arrow and it was redirected. Link heard a clang and nothing happened. "Aww, it didn't work." Zelda said.

"Wait…" Link said charging the arrow and released it again. There was another thud, but this time the door to their right opened. Link jumped off Zelda and they made their way to this door, which led to the dark room. There was a Wrecker Phantom in here. Link snuck up behind it and stabbed it. Zelda possessed it and Link began exploring the room. He killed a rat, before Zelda saw it and saw an eye in the dark. Link shot it and heard a noise come back from the entrance. Link lit a torch as he headed here and saw the doors open all over the floor. All the sections were now accessible. Link went back to where he first came from and saw a chest that wasn't there before. Link opened it and it contained a key.

Link headed upstairs with Zelda, who rolled on the mountain of blocks to destroy them. This revealed a chest which also contained a key. Link headed back downstairs and headed through the now open doors and explored a bit. He had three keys and no idea what to do with them. Link then saw a safe zone with a staircase leading down. Link was pretty sure he had not seen it before and went down with Zelda. Lo and behold there were three locked doors

"There are three locked doors, Link." Zelda said "Which door do you think we should take?"

"Hmmm…the left." Link said

"The left one, you say? Well I've got a feeling we should pick the right one."

"Oh? Well I just picked the left because I use the sword with my left, but if you're feeling sure on the right then let's go for it." Link said. Link went to the right door and unlocked it then headed down a hall and down a staircase. They were in a narrow corridor with one way to turn: right. Link turned and saw a red carpeted hallway with boulders rolling down it.

"Let's go!" Zelda said rolling into a metal ball and smashing these, Link at her tail. When they made it past the boulders, they pressed a switch which stopped their flow. Link and Zelda headed back down the hallway and went in the same directions the boulders had went. They found an area hidden by cracked blocks. Zelda smashed these and killed a Phantom Eye. Link read a stone tablet which said

_Light them in this order. The unguarded flame, the flame surrounded by sand, the flame surrounded by the abyss, and finally the guarded flame._

Link wrote this down and they headed back to the switch, they continued from here and saw a switch panel and several statues and cracked blocks along with a Phantom Eye, Link hid from the eye and Zelda smashed all the statues and blocks. There didn't seem to be anything else to do here. There was a sealed door but no means opening it. It likely had an eye behind it as an arrow shooter was on a nearby platform. Link and Zelda went back to the room with the three doors.

Link went to the left door this time. When they entered, there was a pit of sand. Link held his hand up to indicate for Zelda to stay Link and went ahead and stepped on a floor switch and a bridge appeared. Zelda crossed this and they saw a wooden latch. Link couldn't reach it, so he motioned Zelda to come back to the sand. Link raised himself and climbed on Zelda's shield. She took him to the latch and Link managed to get it this time. Link swung to the other side and pressed a floor switch which made a bridge for Zelda to cross. They continued and saw a sand pit, a stalfos warrior, and a Warp Phantom with Phantom Eye on a ledge.

"Stay, I'll get the Warp Phantom." Link said. Zelda nodded and Link killed the stalfos warrior with the Bow of Light. Link then used the Sand Wand to climb the ledge where the Phantom was and snuck behind it. Once hit, Zelda flew out of the Wrecker Phantom and possessed it. Link moved across the sand to a different ledge with an arrow shooter on it by using the Sand Wand. Link turned and saw an eye, high on a wall.

"Zelda, I need you to hold this for me." Link said indicated the switch. Link made a path and Zelda walked over and took the shooter, she turned it to face the eye and Link went back to the other ledge and climbed a small staircase. Link shot a light arrow at Zelda's shooter and it was redirected to the eye. The eye closed, but nothing happened. Link guessed there were more of them. Link went to the sand pit to the right, leaving Zelda and stepped on a switch. Link heard a distant rumbling and went back to Zelda. "Zelda, I'm going to make a path so you can step on that switch and tell me what happens.

"I saw what happened, Link." Zelda said. "Back in the right door room a door opened and revealed an eye. I saw it through the Phantom Eye." Zelda said

"So wanna go to the switch and have me go back there?" Link asked

"No, there's a switch panel nearby. I will warp where the eye is and switch places with you. I will then step on the switch and you can use the shooter thing to hit it." Zelda said. Link nodded and Zelda vanished. Link found himself back in the other part of the floor and turned the arrow shooter with his boomerang. Link then shot an arrow at it and it flew through the now open door and hit the next eye.

"I'M DONE, ZELDA!" Link yelled as loud as he could so Zelda could hear it through the wall. Zelda appeared next to Link and they set of back to the three doors. This time they took the middle door. There were the torches that were mentioned earlier. Link backtracked and went back upstairs to the dark room before.

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked.

"We need a Torch Phantom." Link said "Ah there he is!" Link pointed to the Phantom, then snuck behind and stabbed it. Zelda left the Warp Phanton and took the new one. They went back to the room with torches and Zelda lit the lonely torch on fire. Remembering the order, Link lit the torch on the sand on fire with the boomerang, then the one on a pillar near the cliff. Zelda did the last one past the spikes. There was a rumbling to their left. The two investigated and saw a door had opened, revealing an eye. Link shot this with a light arrow and another door opened. Link and Zelda went here and down another staircase. They were in a red carpeted room, and the door shut behind them.

"I have a feeling there's a lot of enemies headed our way, Link…" Zelda said.

"Yeah…"  
"Ready?"

"We made it this far."

"OK, let's go!" no sooner had Zelda said this when many blue ChuChus appeared. "Yay, a fight just for me!" Zelda said. Zelda began slaying all the blue ChuChus with ease. When Link killed one with the bow Zelda said "STOP! My ChuChus!" Link laughed and let Zelda finish the rest. When she was done several stalfos and stalfos warriors appeared. Link shot these all down with the Bow of Light. Next three red geozards appeared. Link whipped off all of their shields. Then he and Zelda set to work on slashing them all. Link got burned by the fire but was otherwise unharmed. When these all fell, the two doors opened. "Yessssss! We made it, Link!" Zelda cheered. "We're unstoppable when you put us together. We can take on any monster!" Link smiled and gave Zelda high five. "Do you think this is our last battle?"

"I doubt it." Link said.

"You're right. That was a tough fight, but we can't let our guard down." Link and Zelda entered the next room. Link quickly hid in a safe zone, for he saw a Phantom approach. It was a Torch Phantom. And nearby was a Wrecker Phantom. "Guess we're not done yet." Zelda said. "Stay here, I'll scout." Link nodded and Zelda saw two torches and a sealed door. She lit the torches and a Phantom Eye appeared and a door opened, inside was a Warp Phantom and a normal Phantom guarding a door. Zelda looked in here and found nothing; she continued west and saw a pit of sand across from which was two switches. Zelda went back to Link and said "There's one of every Phantom here. There's a sand pit with two switches on the other side. One Phantom is guarding a door that the switches no doubt open. There's a Warp Phantom with him." Link sat and thought for a moment. After three minutes thinking Link said.

"I have a plan."

"Yes?"

"Distract the normal Phantom and I will hit the Warp Phantom. You possess him and I will lure the eye to me. I will take it across the sand you can warp there. We will press the two switches and the door will probably open. You can leave the Warp Phantom and I will get another one, this way you don't have to cross the sand. On the bright side, I think we're close to the compass. Zelda nodded and went to the lone Phantom and spoke to him so he wouldn't be facing Link. Link snuck behind the Warp Phantom and stabbed it. Zelda left the Torch Phantom and turned into a Warp Phantom. Link ran as the other Phantom saw him. Zelda chased Link, pretending to be a normal Phantom. Link made it to a safe zone and when the Phantoms except Zelda left, he found the Phantom Eye and carried it across the sand. Zelda warped to Link and they pressed the switches. There was a rumbling, they could only guess the door had opened. Link got rid of the Phantom Eye and crossed the pit, leaving Zelda and snuck his head around the corner and checked. The door had opened and behind it was a large double door and several statues. Link snuck to a Wrecker Phantom and stabbed it.

"NOW!" Link cried. Link ran, he surely attracted the other Phantoms with that. Zelda soon joined him. She had found the Wrecker Phantom and possessed it. "OK, you roll in and attack the guarding Phantom and destroy the statues. We will then open the door together. With any luck, we may be done after that." Zelda nodded and rolled onward, Link in her wake. When the Phantom fell down due to the force of Zelda hitting him and the statues were gone, Link and Zelda pushed the door open and headed down another set of stairs. There was an altar up ahead which had, what was unmistakably a compass. Zelda gave a sigh of relief and left the Wrecker Phantom. Link grabbed the compass. Suddenly it pointed south-west and Link's map glowed. A set of tracks began sparkling and pointed to an area near Link's home, Aboda Village.

"Alright!" Zelda said happily "Follow those tracks to the Dark Realm! Let's find that Demon Train. I want my body back, once and for all!" Link nodded and a blue portal appeared. Link took this and appeared in the tower lobby. Link boarded the train and set a course to the Dark Realm.

Just give me 3 hours this time.


	21. The Last Battle

"Better enjoy your last chance to fly!" Link said as he rode off. Zelda nodded and flew beside the train. For whatever reason there were no monsters on the tracks, and the animals were too scared. If this hadn't been the case Link would have probably paid for staring at Zelda so much. _**We're almost done Zelda…I WILL get you your body back. **_Link watched Zelda fly, her hair rippled in the breeze. _**And maybe…we can still be friends. **_Zelda twirled in the air and waved at Link. _**Or more... **_Link continued watching Zelda, not even caring that she could see him watching her. Not even noticing the dreamy look that came on Zelda's face as she stared at him. They went through a cave and Zelda gave a gasp. Several large bugs were here, they were much smaller than the big eyed bug though. Link blasted these away and turned back to Zelda who was now looking ahead.

"Link! Look in front! IN FRONT!" Zelda cried. Link looked ahead and gasped. There was a large stone mountain. It had a large temple, which housed one thing: A black and green portal.

"Who knew this was so close to home?" Link said. Link drove closer and closer to the mountain, almost at the portal.

"Listen, Princess Zelda and Link…the two of you must gather your courage and proceed!" Anjean said. Link and Zelda nodded. Then the train entered the portal.

They were in a different world completely. The world was black, blue, and purple. There was no ground. But the Spirit Tracks were here too. They were much more powerful here. The train went faster than ever and Link saw with a surprise that the rail map was now a map of this world. There were six of the armored Dark Trains here as well as what looked like Tears of Light. The train ran into one of these and glowed gold. "The Tears of Light will give us invincibility for a little bit." Anjean said. Link nodded. "Now pull your whistle." Link pulled it and the train went twenty times faster. They crashed into one of the armored Dark Trains and it exploded. The Spirit Train was unharmed. However the tear didn't last long. It left the train and went back to where it originated. Link looked at the map. There were five more trains on it and eight tears in all. One train seemed to be on a set of tracks all its own. There were also portals. One would lead here no doubt. Link made a route to the nearest Tear of Light and set a route in which he could beat two of the trains and get the tears without losing his power.

"We've got three left! Let's get the rest!" Zelda said as these trains fell to Link.

Link made his way to one of the portals, hoping it would take him to the next train on its own tracks. Unfortunately the powers of the tear wore off now. Link appeared on a small set of tracks that led to another portal. In the middle of these was a tear. The Spirit Train touched it and glowed golden. Link rode into the next portal and saw the lone train. Link rode right into it and quickly took a portal out. He was now on a set of tracks with one tear on it and two trains. Link pulled the whistle but was too far from the other trains. The power wore off and the other trains were closing in on him. Link was in between them…

BOOM! There was an explosion as Link grabbed the Tear of Light and stopped. Both trains blew up on contact with Link. All the portals disappeared and the rails rearranged themselves so they were facing a giant orb or dark energy. There were four rails, all led one way. Link followed these and Zelda came from the passenger cart and stood next to him. "Cole is somewhere up ahead in the dark." Zelda said placing her hand on Link's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "You're the only one who can stop his rampage." Link was starting to feel a little sick. "You'll be an engineering legend if you pull it off!" Zelda said encouragingly.

"Yeah…" Link said staring up ahead. Suddenly a green and black portal came out of nowhere and the Demon Train was on the tracks with Link. It looked even huger up close and covered two sets of tracks, it was next to Link. As Link drove next to it, he understood why Cole needed it. The tracks the Demon Train touched would disappear after a few seconds. Cole used this train to get rid of the Spirit Tracks. The train opened one of its two passenger cars and sent a bomb barrel out. Link blew this up before it hit him. The train unloaded another, Link shot the barrel before it was unloaded and there was an explosion as a little bit of the passenger car blew off. Link did this again as the train opened the car. "Watch out!" Zelda cried as the train roared and moved on the same tracks Link did. Link slowed down the train as much as he could without falling off the tracks. He didn't want to hit the Demon Train. Link saw a crossover on the tracks and took it. He and the Demon Train were on different tracks now. It opened the passenger car again and Link shot two more barrels inside. The train roared and changed tracks again. It wasn't on Links tracks though. It opened the passenger cart which was very exposed and Link saw a barrel next to a bunch of others and shot it. There were many explosions and the passenger car fell off the Demon Train. The Demon Train roared and made a green and black portal appear. Link followed it in the portal and they were on a set of identical tracks. Link approached the next passenger cart which opened and revealed a laser which shot at Link. Link shot back at it with his cannon. The laser was destroyed. It opened another hatch and showed another laser, Link only hit it once. Another laser appeared and Link hit it. The train roared and changed tracks. Link made sure it wasn't on the same tracks as him. The train opened the passenger car door and another laser popped out. Link destroyed with a cannon and switched tracks to avoid a ball of strange fire in front of the ones he was on. Another laser appeared and Link shot it twice. It was destroyed. The train roared and switched tracks once more. It was on the same as Link. Link slowed down the train again and waited for an opportunity to switch tracks. When it came, Link did so and the Demon Train opened up the lasers again. Link shot the final laser and there were a series of explosions. The last passenger car fell off and another portal was created. Link followed the Demon Train in this and went for its head this time. Lasers shot from the side of it this time and Link destroyed them with the cannon. The train roared in pain and was slowing down. Link went faster up ahead of it. Link then shot the Demon Trains face with his cannon. The train roared and sped up. It shot lasers at Link, which Link hit with the cannon, but got hit once. When all the lasers were hit the train slowed down again and Link sped up. Link shot the face again, but this time instead of just speeding up, the Demon Train switched tracks. It was right behind Link, charging at him. Link desperately hit it with cannons, the train roared and roared. Link changed tracks at the last possible minute and shot in again it the face. The Demon Train gave a final roared and then started slowing down…slower…slower…and it stopped. Link stopped next to it and entered the passenger car of his train to inform Anjean.

"This is it." Anjean said when Link told her of the situation. There was a tense atmosphere in the air at these words. Link glanced at Zelda who nodded solemnly. "Once we defeat Malladus, all of this can end. I shall accompany you from here on out. It's too dangerous for just the two of you." Byrne made a strangled gasping noise at this.

"But your wounds from our battle are still fresh." He reminded her "And what's to come will be very demanding. It's my turn now, master. It's…the least I can do." Byrne said with another gasp. Link and Zelda looked at each other sadly. Neither one of them wanted the Lokomo to accompany them. They were weak now and likely to die. Suddenly they gave each other an understanding smile and Zelda turned to Anjean.

"Yes, Anjean, it's time for you to rest." Zelda said "Link and I can take care of them. After all, it's just Malladus and Cole. It'll be a piece of cake." Zelda turned to Byrne and added "You should stay behind too, Byrne. You're both too injured to help us now." Byrne glared at Zelda when she said this. In his opinion the two of them were being cocky little brats. Anjean stared in wonder, and then gave a sigh and smile.

"As you wish, my dear." Anjean said "It's up to you two, then, Link and Zelda." Even now, when they were about to fight for their lives, the two of them couldn't help but enjoy hearing the words "Link and Zelda." But both drove this from their minds immediately. "May the spirits be with you." Anjean said and turned around and summoned a Phantom. It wasn't moving for some reason. Link knew what this meant…Zelda _was _going to fight. "I can do no more. You must go forth on your own." Anjean said.

"Thank you for everything, Anjean. It's time for us to go, Link." Zelda said with a smile on her face. Link was no longer smiling. Now he was scared. He hadn't intended for Zelda to actually fight. He stared at Zelda worriedly. _**She may not die…but she could get hurt out there. **_Link didn't say anything though. He knew his word would make no difference. They had just told them that Malladus would be easy. There's no way Zelda would be backing down after that. Link and Zelda approached the Phantom but before Link made it Zelda said "Oh, but one last thing before we go." And she settled herself in front of Link. "Once we put all of this ugliness behind us, we'll both resume our normal lives."

"Yeah…" Link said

"When that happens, what are you going to do? What will you become?" Link thought for a moment and then said

"I'm not sure…" he was thinking of a job that would get him close to Zelda. But as princess she needed both warriors and royal engineers, so it was hard to pick.

"I see…" Zelda said giving him a small smile. "Well, I think we can go now, Link." Link nodded and Zelda possessed the Phantom. The two of them left the train and Anjean smiled as she watched them go.

"Her ancestors would be proud of her." Anjean said. Byrne said nothing but just stared where they had left.

Link and Zelda were climbing the Demon Train. Zelda helped Link up and they stared. On the train was Cole, his back was to them.

"You've gone far enough Cole. This is where it ends." Zelda said. Cole sighed

"You again…" Cole muttered "The Demon King's return is nigh, you know. Yet, here you are, making a nuisance of yourselves!" Cole turned around and faced the two, his eyes bulging wildly. "You insolent little fools! It's time you received the punishment you deserve!" Suddenly the Demon Train started moving. It hadn't been stopped after all. Link and Zelda stared the Spirit Train which they were now moving away from. It was an ominous sight. "Your Majesty! Your resurrection is complete! Please use your power to destroy these two" Cole cried. Floating above him was Zelda…possessed by Malladus. Malladus openED his red eyes and glared at them. He floated to the top of the train and stood next to Cole.

"This is it, Link!" Zelda said clenching her fist. Link gulped, he had been too late again. He would have to fight a completely revived Malladus and win, something even the spirits of good couldn't do.

Malladus stood at the opposite end of the train, Cole dancing the air next to him. He vanished and in the next second appeared before Link and Zelda. Link ignored him and aimed the Bow of Light at Malladus. Malladus conjured up a red barrier and easily blocked the arrow.

"Looks like t it won't be that easy, Zelda." Link said.

"I'll help!" Zelda said, and together they rushed at Malladus. However Cole gave an evil cackle and snapped his fingers. Zelda was surrounded by four white rats, all of which were closing in on her. Zelda screamed and cowered at the rats. Cole knew her well enough to know this would stop her. Link killed the rats and Zelda continued heading to Malladus with Link. Cole snapped his fingers only five seconds later and more rats appeared. Link killed three of them but the fourth got Zelda. She suddenly turned around and slashed at Link. Link barely dodged the sword and saw Cole behind her, controlling her with puppet strings. "You have to get away, Link!" Zelda cried. Link shook his head and backed up. He took out his boomerang and sent it at the strings. Zelda was free. "Thanks, Link!" Zelda said as she started recovering the ground they had lost due to her being controlled by Cole. Cole sent more rats and Link killed them all this time. Link suddenly got blasted by a red laser shot by Malladus. "Link, hide behind me!" Zelda said. Link nodded and let Zelda lead. Cole sent out some more rats but since they circled Zelda, they were destroyed by Malladus' laser. Cole sighed and did a different tactic. He sent rats one by one at Zelda's back. Link killed them all while Zelda pressed herself towards Malladus whose laser did not affect her. Link charged the Bow of Light then quickly got out from behind Zelda and shot it. Malladus had incredible reflexes though and merely stopped his laser for a second and blocked it with is barrier again with ease. "I'll hold him down!" Zelda said, still moving closer. Cole kept on sending rats, every time one squeaked Zelda would shiver.

"Don't look, Zelda! I swear I won't let another one hit you!" Link said. The top of the train began moving back and forth, making it harder for Zelda to walk. Link kept on killing the rats that approached. Zelda moved slower and slower as she approached, the lasers strength becoming less bearable as she got closer. Zelda began grunting she got closer. The laser was hurting her now, it seemed like Malladus was strong enough to even hurt a Phantom. But Zelda didn't give up, she continued moving onward. Finally she grabbed Malladus and held him. Malladus floated in the air, Zelda's Phantom strength helped her but Malladus looked like he was over powering her. Zelda and Malladus twirled in the air as they struggled. Cole floated near his master crying out and yelling, clearly worried.

"Shoot Malladus with the Bow of Light now!" Zelda cried. Link took out the Bow and aimed. Link shot at Malladus but missed. It was a very hard target, it moved back and forth at random times and twirled and there were moments when he couldn't hit Malladus at all. There was also the fact that Link's arms were shaking with the idea of shooting Zelda with the Bow of Light. He knew it was to help her and wouldn't damage her body at all. But Link was worried that if it didn't work, it would be he who put the arrow on Zelda's body that made it impossible for her to reenter it. Still Zelda's strength couldn't last forever and it seemed like Malladus was beginning to overpower her. Link aimed and shot again. It hit Malladus in the chest and he gave a yell of pain. A small ball of light engulfed him and soon he was back on the train, desperately trying to free himself from Zelda's grasp. It almost looked like Malladus would explode. The Demon Train went wild as well, its movements were shakier and it went a lot faster.

"Your majesty…" Cole whimpered and flew away in fear as the light grew bigger. Link looked worriedly at Zelda, who was still holding Malladus.

"You won't escape this time, Malladus!" Zelda cried.

"RELEASE ME!" Malladus roared in a voice that sounded far too manly and evil to belong to Zelda.

"Link! Be careful!" Zelda cried, for Link was slowly approaching the two. "Don't worry about me! Just get away from Malladus!" Link stared for a bit, then gulped and ran as fast as he could to Zelda, he felt like he had to help her. Malladus gave another roar and so did the Demon Train, suddenly it rose into the sky and exploded. Link knew no more.

"…Link! Link! Please open your eyes, Link!" Link gave a small groan and opened his eyes. He was somewhere in Hyrule, lying on his stomach. There were bits of the Demon Train all over the place. Next to him was Zelda, she was no longer a Phantom, but in her spirit form. Her hand was on his back and she had a worried look on her face. Link smiled, it was comforting to see Zelda. Link tried to get up but gave a gasp of pain. "Oh no…" Zelda whispered. Suddenly Zelda turned and gave a small gasp. Link followed her gaze and saw Malladus in Zelda's body. He had a pained look on his face. Suddenly Zelda's body's face went black and Malladus' spirit was pushed several feet from her body. Malladus' spirit wasn't like Zelda's. It didn't have a real shape, it looked a bit like a skull, but that wasn't quite what it was. It was light blue and had the same eyes Malladus had when he possessed Zelda. Zelda's body remained in the air, and Zelda stared at it with her mouth hanging open.

"Get it…" Link whispered. "I did this for a reason…!" Zelda nodded and flew to her body, passing Cole who had just gotten conscious…and passed through it. She was still a spirit and her body was still floating unpossessed. Zelda gave a gasp and flew through her body several more times. She gave a sob as she passed through it the third time and didn't enter. _No…no, no….NO! I didn't do this all with Link for nothing! _

"Stop!" Cole cried "That vessel belongs to his majesty!" Cole turned to face Malladus "Hurry, Your Majesty! You must hurry back to Zelda's body!" Cole cried. Malladus roared and flew full speed to Zelda's body.

"Why…why isn't this working?" Zelda cried. She turned and screamed as Malladus made for her body and to attack her. But Malladus couldn't reach it; he had hit his head on some sort of purple barrier. Zelda turned and saw Byrne, kneeling next to Link and using his flesh hand to conjure the barrier.

"You cannot give up now!" Byrne cried "Your body has the sacred power of the spirits! Now concentrate on reclaiming it!" Zelda stared wide eyed at Byrne. "After all…" Byrne gasped "Didn't you say you wanted to have words with me?" Zelda continued staring for a moment then turned to her body, hoping desperately that this would work. Zelda closed her eyes and thought _If there really is a sacred power in my body…please let it here me!_

"Tetra, please give me your blessing…" Zelda whispered as she floated to her body.

Suddenly Zelda's eyes opened and she was screaming and falling. Unlike Malladus she had no clue how to make her body fly.

"Go now! Right now!" Byrne cried. Link stared for a moment then gasped and suddenly found new strength and the ability to not only walk, but run. Link ran below Zelda and held his arms out wide. Zelda fell straight into Link's face and Link gave a soft groan. He was on the ground, Zelda on top of him. Zelda groaned too, then realized she was sore, which meant she could feel pain, which meant she had a body.

"Mmmhh….am I…back?" Zelda asked aloud.

Zelda cave a cry of relief when she saw herself and turned around to hug Link who was blushing at the feel of her body.

_Thank you, Link! Thank you! I love you!_

_**She's so warm and soft…**_

Suddenly a yell of pain brought Link in Zelda back to their senses and Link gently pushed Zelda off and saw Byrne. He was the one screaming in pain. Malladus was attacking Byrne with some type of black lightening. Byrne gasped and cried in pain then turned to face Link and Zelda. Perhaps it was their imagination, and there was no way to tell because of his bandana…but he seemed to be smiling. Byrne gave a small chuckle and exploded. Zelda cried out that this. Cole was crying too, but not out of sadness, out of laughter. He yelled and cheered

"Bravo, Your Majesty! Bravo!" then he turned and faced Link and Zelda with a wicked grin on his face. "But time is short, Your Majesty. Please do away with the boy and capture Zelda." Cole turned behind him and saw Malladus. Malladus had a look on his face that seemed annoyed, yet also full of lust and greed. "…Your Majesty?" Cole still didn't understand what was going on, but Link knew. It was the end of Cole. Cole soon realized this and cried "Please, no!" but Malladus ignored this and swallowed Cole. Link had never hated anyone in his life more than he hated Cole but he couldn't help but feel pity as he saw Cole get eaten. He may have been a traitor, and he may have been evil, but he had a lot of devotion to Malladus…and possibly even loved him. Now he was betrayed. A blue and black vortex appeared around Malladus, as he possessed Cole. But when he was visible, he looked nothing like Cole.

Cole had been short and human looking. Malladus was a large twenty foot beast. He didn't look human at all; he looked more like a warthog. His hair was longer than Coles, but he had the same red mustache. He wore tattered red shorts, the same Cole had worn. And his tail was pointed like a devil's. He also had very large horns and his body was light blue like his spirit.

"This vessel…is…rejecting my spirit." Malladus said "I'm…slipping from it…I can't hold on for long….But the world will crumble in the time I have left!" Malladus roared. Zelda turned to face him, tears flying from her eyes. She knew that if she continued to mourn for Byrne now she would lose Link too.

"Come on, Link! Let's settle this once and for all!" Zelda yelled. Link nodded, feeling that strength course through him and pulled out his sword. The two turned and faced the Demon King. Zelda looked like she was doing some serious thinking. She turned to Link "Link! I'm going to concentrate on channeling my power! While I do that, please protect me from Malladus!" Link nodded and faced Malladus. Malladus roared and studied Link for awhile. Zelda closed her eyes and light began gathering around her. Malladus breathed a fire ball at Zelda; Link deflected it away with his sword. Malladus breathed another and Link deflected this as well. Malladus paused for a moment and then breathed two more consecutive fire balls. Link deflected both away. Zelda peaked from time to time; it was very scary just standing still. Malladus sent three more fire balls and Link deflected them all once again. Then after a small pause Malladus sent a fire ball to Zelda's right, it changed directions when it was level with Zelda and went straight at her. Link gasped, he had not been expecting this. Link deflected it and turned to his left and saw another one was already going for Zelda's left in the same way. Zelda peaked and looked worriedly at the fire ball. Link dived in front of it. He got hit in the stomach but he managed to protect Zelda. Zelda gave a small cry but closed her eyes again, she couldn't distract herself, she had to do this now or Link was doomed. Malladus jumped to the side and sent two more fireballs. Link got up just in time to deflect both. Malladus jumped in the middle again and gave a roar. Four fireballs from all sides came directly at Zelda. Link rushed to her and preformed a spin attack which just barely deflected all the boulders. Malladus sent two more fire balls; Link deflected the first but had to use his body to stop the second. Zelda was definitely getting her power. There was a brightness all around her. Malladus sent two more fireballs going from each side. Link was better prepared now and stopped them both at once before they separated. Malladus jumped to a side and began firing more fire balls. Malladus shot six fire balls in a row then jumped to middle. Link was feeling tired, he dearly hoped Zelda was almost done. Malladus gave a roar and sent two waves of four fireballs at Zelda. Link used the spin attack wildly and deflected them all, but he became very dizzy as well and fell to the ground. There was a sudden flash and Zelda opened her eyes. Light was coming from her and she was now golden.

"Thank you for protecting me! I'm ready now, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded, having no clue what she meant. "Let's combine my sacred power with the power of the Spirit Flute! I think we can use them to weaken Malladus!" Link stared wide eyed at Zelda. Did she really expect them to play a duet in the middle of a fight with Malladus? How could they do that? Suddenly there was a white flash and Link found himself in a different realm, it was a realm of light. Zelda stood next to him, she was no longer golden but light still came from her. "This is it. Just follow along with me, Link!" Zelda said. Link nodded and took out the Spirit Flute. Zelda waited for a moment, and then began to sing. _**She has such a beautiful voice…**_ Link copied the sounds she made on the flute. Link knew this was to be his part. It was a five note song, after Zelda introduced it they began to play. It was the hardest yet, for Link had to skip two notes this time, but it was also the most beautiful. Link and Zelda would occasionally peak at each other as they played, and soon they heard other sounds, it sounded as though the Lokomo had joined in. They could see visions of them all, they played and played, and then they were back in Hyrule.

Zelda's body glowed again, then all the light from her went to Malladus, a symbol appeared on his back and Malladus roared. Zelda took the Bow of Light. "Link, distract Malladus. When I see an opportunity I will shoot him in the back with the Bow of Light!" Zelda said "This is the last battle, so let's make it count!" Link nodded and they stared determinedly at Malladus. Link rushed at Malladus' side and began to stab him. Malladus roared and faced Link. Link ran away and Malladus chased him. Zelda shot an arrow at Malladus and he gave a roar of pain. Link slashed at Malladus again to keep him from turning around and kept Malladus focused on himself. Zelda shot again and this time Malladus whirled around. Malladus charged at Zelda who ran as fast as she could in high heels to escape. Link used three spin attacks on Malladus' back legs and Malladus turned around again. Zelda shot an arrow at him once more. Malladus stood on his hind legs for a moment and fell to the ground. A red crystal appeared on his forehead.

"Now, Link! Give him your worst!" Zelda cried. Link nodded and slashed and hacked at Malladus. Link tore a horn off of him with the force of the sword. Malladus smacked Link away with the other horn and the crystal disappeared. Malladus sent several fire balls at Link, which were deflected. Link attacked Malladus to his right a little bit and Malladus turned to face him. He was hit once again by Zelda and whirled around to face her. Link desperately used many spin attacks on his back legs again. Link was dizzy and Malladus spun around with great speed and swatted Link away with his remaining horn. Link flew five feet away but rushed back. Zelda sent another arrow at Malladus. Malladus roared and Link slashed his front legs to keep him focused on him. Zelda sent another arrow, this one missed and Malladus turned around to face her. Link ran in front of Zelda and began slashing and hacking at Malladus, Malladus's eyes focused on Link and Link lured him away. Zelda shot another arrow and Malladus's back and he fell to the floor again. Link stabbed at him with his sword several times and the other horn came off. Malladus head butted Link and sent him flying. Malladus sent more fireballs at Link, which Link avoided. Malladus turned to face Zelda again.

"C'mon Malladus, you coward, over here!" Link cried slashing at Malladus' tummy. Malladus turned around which was a mistake. He got hit by Zelda's arrow and fell to the ground attack. Link sank his blade into the crystal that appeared on Malladus' face. Link pushed against Malladus, trying to get the blade in deeper. Malladus pushed at Link, trying to smash him into the ground.

"I'll be right there. Hold on!" Zelda cried. She soon joined Link and help push Link's sword against Malladus. Link felt doomed, they were two children and this was a large demon. But he couldn't give up. _**I have to try…for Zelda.**_ "We're almost done with this!" Zelda encouraged. "Come on, almost there!" They continued pushing and pushing. "Just one last push!" Zelda yelled and looked Link in the eyes for a moment. Together the two mustered up the last of their strength and with yell of effort, pushed on the crystal. Suddenly Malladus stopped. A light breeze came…and the crystal exploded. Malladus stood on his hind legs and gave a roar of pain. Suddenly his body glowed white and he exploded in light. Malladus and Cole were gone.

It was sunset now and the two were looking at the spot where Malladus had disappeared.

"So it's all over now." Zelda said. "But…" she stared at Link sadly. Both were thinking of Byrne. Link walked over and was about to pat her on the back and say something comforting when he gave a small gasp of surprise. Anjean was there. Zelda looked at her sadly.

"We were too late." Anjean said.

"Oh, Anjean…" Zelda said "I'm so sorry. Byrne was trying to protect me…" Anjean nodded and sighed.

"Yes, but there should be no regrets." She said "He wouldn't have had it any other way. Besides, our kind are servants of the spirits. We don't disappear that easily" Anjean said rolling a little ways away. Link and Zelda watched as Anjean put her hands in the air and summoned some strange blue energy that condensed itself into a ball. Zelda then asked what they were both thinking.

"What do you mean?" Anjean gave her a small smile.

"The spirit is persistent, my dear." Anjean said and suddenly Link understood, the blue ball was Byrne's spirit. "Byrne may not have any memory of these events, but later, he'll return in a new form." Link and Zelda stared "You see as Lokomo…we weren't only meant to protect the Spirit Tracks. We were also meant to watch over mankind. But our protection is no longer needed." Anjean said with a laugh. "Even without the spirits' guidance, you will do well. So I think I will return to the heavens…in the company of my good friend, Byrne…" Anjean floated out of her wheels into the air.

"Anjean, wait!" Zelda said. She didn't want to lose her too.

"Please watch over this land, my dear." Anjean said "And, Link…you must help her." The two nodded silently and Anjean turned into a ball just like Byrne, but pink. "Good-bye…And thank you. Thank you both." Anjean said as she floated away, Byrne at her side as well as several other balls of spirit, the other Lokomo. As she said this, Link walked over to Zelda and stood next to her. And as they left, the two held hands and stared into the sunset.

Unfortunately most the rest of the story has no record. Zelda drew pictures and what happened is known by her and Link, but alas I don't have anything. I can give you a brief summery on what happened later though. First off, Link and Zelda found the Spirit Train nearby and after a nap Link and Zelda went back to Hyrule Castle Town where a very excited Teacher waited for them. Alfonzo made great trains because, thanks to Link, he was able to make some good designs based off the Spirit Train. Link helped many more people and did many more deeds to get more Force Gems, eventually there were more Spirit Tracks than there were to begin with. Some of the things that Link did include Link finding a wife for the chief of Whittleton, helped build a fence in Anouki Village, got Linebeck some rare Dark Ore, showed a young goron the city of Hyrule, and rescued all the men from the pirate's hideout and brought them safely to Papuchia. Link also helped the bunny man at the Rabbitland Rescue by reuniting him with his wife and collecting fifty bunnies for him. The bunny man was overjoyed and gave Link an old swordsmen scroll which allowed Link to fire beams of energy from his sword. Link also got another sword move from Niko, he traveled all over the world again and filled Niko's book. The next technique was a move that allowed Link to use a moving spin attack that was more powerful and lasted longer. Speaking of Niko, he didn't show his work "Spirits and Demons at war" as much as before. He now had a new piece of art. It was known as "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks" which featured Link's adventures with Zelda. He now used this to annoy the village children instead of Link, although Link started listening to Niko's art stories more now and would often manage to stay awake. Link became a successful engineer and warrior; he had decided to be both. He gave Ferrus several rides in the Spirit Train which delighted Ferrus. The land of Hyrule returned to normal and the monster attacks ceased.

Zelda sighed as she stared at the framed picture of her and Link. It featured Link riding the Spirit Train and Zelda flying next to him as a spirit, both were smiling. She had drawn it herself and had done a pretty good job. Zelda took her eyes off the picture and focused on her paper work again. She hadn't seen Link for awhile now. She was far behind on her work and Teacher was making sure she finished it before she did anything fun. Teacher was sleeping next to her, still standing. Zelda missed Link so much and considered doing her work pointless. She was too easily distracted right now and would probably not get it done right. Zelda signed her name on another document and suddenly heard a familiar shout and the sound of sword fight. Zelda gasped and rushed to her window. She saw the Spirit Train in the station so Link was definitely here. She looked down and saw him. He was training with the guard. Zelda called out and waved. Link looked up and was struck in the chest with the butt of the spear due to his lack of concentration. Link grunted and fell to the floor. Zelda covered her hand with her mouth, and then waved again, a little apologetically at Link. Link smiled and waved back. _Maybe…when I finish my work I can see Link again…_

THE END

It is sadly the end of this story, but only the beginning of Link and Zelda's adventures which can be found in two other stories in which Link and Zelda fought even greater threats.

Phew, it's over. For some reason all three of my finished fanfictions are 21 chapters… Yeah sorry I was leaning more to the warrior ending, I just like it better because it felt like Link and Zelda were closer. Anyway when I said it was only the beginning of their adventure, I meant that I wrote a fanfiction on it and I'm planning another one. This is all that is canon. The rest is made up from my mind. If your interested check out my profile for "A Spirit Tracks Sequel" or just copy and paste this

.net/s/5757927/1/bSpirit_b_bTracks_b_Sequal_LinkxZelda_Fanfiction

It is complete. If you're interested in news on the second and last Spirit Tracks story I'm writing please visit my account where I will post news. Hope you enjoyed and please review. Oh and if you want to review the sequel, go for it!


End file.
